Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 5426
NGC 5426 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 119.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 119.8 million light-years (36.74 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 98,900 light-years · 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.44 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.39 |
| Luminosity | 0.65 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 03m 24.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −6° 04′ 09″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.39. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 84° N. 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 120 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 2,125.7 billion years.