Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 5523
NGC 5523 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Boötes, 48.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Boötes |
| Distance | 48.4 million light-years (14.84 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 54,900 light-years · 0.63 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.22 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.64 |
| Luminosity | 0.085 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 14m 52.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +25° 19′ 03″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.64. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 65° S. North of latitude 65° 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 48 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 858.6 billion years.