Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 5090
NGC 5090 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Centaurus, 159.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Distance | 159.4 million light-years (48.87 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 188,400 light-years · 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.73 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.72 |
| Luminosity | 5.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 21m 12.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −43° 42′ 17″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.72. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 46° N. South of latitude 46° 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 159 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 2,827.5 billion years.