Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 5926
NGC 5926 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Serpens, 288.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Serpens |
| Distance | 288.4 million light-years (88.41 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 75,800 light-years · 0.87 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.35 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.38 |
| Luminosity | 0.6 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 15h 23m 24.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +12° 42′ 55″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.38. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 77° S. North of latitude 77° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in May, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 288 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 5,115.2 billion years.