NGC 2986 is an elliptical galaxy in Hydra, 99 million light-years away
NGC 2986 (ESO 566-005) is an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Hydra , 99 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 10.6 and spans 4.8′ × 3.9′ of sky, about 138,200 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in April.
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 2986 from Alphard
Alphard
NGC 2986
HYDRA
NGC 2986 lies 13.2° south of Alphard , the magnitude 2.0 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 2986 is highest in the evening in April
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 1° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -24° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -39° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -49° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -41° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -8° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 18° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 10° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -6° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -24° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -43° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -58° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -60° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -46° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -4° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 15° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -46° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -66° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -68° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -49° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -26° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 0° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 36° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 37° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 25° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -20° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -47° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -72° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -76° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -50° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -25° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 5° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 45° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 32° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -18° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -46° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -74° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -78° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -50° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -23° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 9° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 35° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 54° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 56° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 38° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 12° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -15° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -43° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -70° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -73° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -47° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -20° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 13° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 40° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 62° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 66° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 44° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 16° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -11° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -39° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -63° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -65° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -43° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -16° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 45° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 69° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 74° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 48° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -7° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -34° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -55° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -56° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -37° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -12° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 19° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 47° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 73° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 79° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 51° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 23° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -3° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -28° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -46° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -47° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -31° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 22° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 48° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 71° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 76° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 52° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 1° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -21° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -36° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -37° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -24° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 47° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 66° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 69° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 50° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 5° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -17° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 1° 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 southern hemisphere and north to about 69°N, and never sets south of 69°S.
NGC 2986 is 99 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 2986 tonight left it about 99 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 2986
29 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 2983, lenticular galaxy, 49′ NGC 2935, spiral galaxy, 1.8° NGC 2921, mixed spiral galaxy, 2.3° NGC 3052, mixed spiral galaxy, 3.6° NGC 3081, lenticular galaxy, 3.9° NGC 3091, elliptical galaxy, 4.1° NGC 3054, spiral galaxy, 5.0° NGC 2865, elliptical galaxy, 5.2°
NGC 2986 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Hydra Designations NGC 2986, ESO 566-005, 2MASX J09441604-2116418, ESO-LV 566-0050, MCG -03-25-019, PGC 027885, UGCA 178 Type elliptical galaxy (E) Right ascension (J2000) 09h 44.3m Declination (J2000) -21° 17′ Magnitude 10.6 (B 11.0) Surface brightness 23.9 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 4.8′ × 3.9′ Position angle 42° True size 138,200 light-years Distance 99 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 2,307 km/s, redshift 0.00772 Best with Telescope Best month April Catalog page NGC 2501 to 3000
