Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 5557
NGC 5557 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Boötes, 149.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Boötes |
| Distance | 149.7 million light-years (45.90 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 116,600 light-years · 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.03 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.28 |
| Luminosity | 2.8 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 18m 25.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +36° 29′ 37″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.28. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 54° S. North of latitude 54° 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 150 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 2,655.7 billion years.