Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 5248
NGC 5248 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Boötes, 53.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Boötes |
| Distance | 53.6 million light-years (16.44 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 106,700 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.94 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.14 |
| Luminosity | 1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 13h 37m 32.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +8° 53′ 06″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.14. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 81° S. 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 54 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 951.2 billion years.