Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 5984
NGC 5984 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Serpens, 51.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Serpens |
| Distance | 51.6 million light-years (15.83 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 31,800 light-years · 0.36 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −17.94 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.06 |
| Luminosity | 0.065 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 15h 42m 53.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +14° 13′ 53″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.06. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 76° S. North of latitude 76° 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 52 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 915.9 billion years.