Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 5038
NGC 5038 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 103.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 103.5 million light-years (31.74 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 63,800 light-years · 0.73 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.10 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.41 |
| Luminosity | 0.48 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 15m 02.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −15° 57′ 06″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.41. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 74° N. South of latitude 74° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 104 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 1,836.4 billion years.