Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 5506
NGC 5506 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Virgo, 86.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 86.3 million light-years (26.47 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 102,500 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.05 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.06 |
| Luminosity | 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 13m 14.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −3° 12′ 27″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.06. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 87° 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 86 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 1,531.5 billion years.