Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 5991
NGC 5991 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Serpens, 316.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Serpens |
| Distance | 316.7 million light-years (97.09 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 118,900 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.46 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.48 |
| Luminosity | 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 15h 45m 16.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +24° 37′ 50″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.48. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 65° S. North of latitude 65° 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 317 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 5,617.4 billion years.