Galaxy · Irregular
UGC 5209
UGC 5209 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Leo, 21.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Irregular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Leo |
| Distance | 21.4 million light-years (6.56 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 5,284 light-years · 0.06 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −13.70 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 15.38 |
| Luminosity | 0.0013 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 45m 04.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +32° 14′ 18″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 15.38. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 58° S. North of latitude 58° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in February, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 21 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 379.5 billion years.