Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 5132
NGC 5132 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 341.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 341.1 million light-years (104.57 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 177,600 light-years · 2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.37 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.73 |
| Luminosity | 3.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 24m 28.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +14° 05′ 33″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.73. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 76° S. North of latitude 76° N 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 341 million years ago. At that time complex animals were spreading through the seas and over the land; there were no dinosaurs yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 6,050.2 billion years.