Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 5530
NGC 5530 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Lupus, 55.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Lupus |
| Distance | 55.6 million light-years (17.04 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 87,600 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.16 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.00 |
| Luminosity | 0.51 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 18m 27.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −43° 23′ 18″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.00. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 47° N. South of latitude 47° S 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 56 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 985.9 billion years.