Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 5440
NGC 5440 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Canes Venatici, 171.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
| Distance | 171.9 million light-years (52.70 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 132,700 light-years · 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.82 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.79 |
| Luminosity | 2.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 03m 01.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +34° 45′ 28″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.79. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 55° S. North of latitude 55° 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 172 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 3,049.1 billion years.