NGC 5548 is a lenticular galaxy (S0-a) in Boötes, 199 million light-years away
NGC 5548 (UGC 9149, PGC 51074) is a lenticular galaxy (S0-a) in the constellation Boötes , 199 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 13.4 and spans 1.3′ × 1.1′ of sky, about 77,000 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in June.
Galaxy: a system of billions of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity, far outside the Milky Way. Spiral galaxies have a disk with arms; elliptical galaxies are smooth, round or oval swarms of older stars.
Finding NGC 5548 from Arcturus
Arcturus
NGC 5548
BOÖTES
NGC 5548 lies 6.0° north of Arcturus , the magnitude -0.1 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 5548 is highest in the evening in June
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -0° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 10° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 51° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 55° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 48° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 34° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 19° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -5° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -9° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 40° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 58° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 65° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 54° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 35° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -0° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -15° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 41° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 63° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 75° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 58° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 35° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 13° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -21° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -25° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 15° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 40° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 66° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 84° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 60° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 9° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -13° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -30° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -35° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -12° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 11° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 65° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 84° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 59° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 4° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -19° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -39° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -45° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -41° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -17° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 7° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 35° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 61° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 74° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 55° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 28° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 0° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -47° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -55° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -48° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 54° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 65° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 49° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 23° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -55° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -65° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -26° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -1° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 46° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 55° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 18° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -8° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -35° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -62° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -74° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -57° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -6° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 19° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 38° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 45° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -12° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -39° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -66° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -84° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -59° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -32° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -10° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 29° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 35° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 26° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 8° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -16° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -41° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -67° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -84° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -57° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -34° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 6° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 20° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 25° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 18° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 2° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -19° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -41° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -64° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -75° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 65°S, and never sets north of 65°N.
NGC 5548 is 199 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 5548 tonight left it about 199 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. It ranks 299 of 422 by distance among the galaxies on Go Astronomy. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023), distance of its one group companion.
Objects within 6° of NGC 5548
NGC 5548 catalog data
Field Value
Designations UGC 9149, PGC 51074, NGC 5548 Type lenticular galaxy (S0-a) Constellation Boötes Right ascension (J2000) 14h 18.0m Declination (J2000) +25° 08′ Magnitude 13.4 Surface brightness 22.6 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 1.3′ × 1.1′ True size 77,000 light-years Distance 199 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023), distance of its one group companion) Best month June Best with Telescope
