Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 5616
NGC 5616 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Boötes, 393.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Boötes |
| Distance | 393.1 million light-years (120.53 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 232,900 light-years · 2.7 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.57 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.84 |
| Luminosity | 4.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 24m 20.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +36° 27′ 41″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.84. 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 393 million years ago. At that time complex animals were spreading through the seas and over the land; there were no dinosaurs yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 6,973.6 billion years.