NGC 5044 is an elliptical galaxy in Virgo, 105 million light-years away
NGC 5044 is an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Virgo , 105 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 10.7 and spans 3.7′ × 3.2′ of sky, about 111,500 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in May.
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 5044 from Spica
Spica
NGC 5044
VIRGO
NGC 5044 lies 5.7° southwest of Spica , the magnitude 1.0 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 5044 is highest in the evening in May
JAN
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -18° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -5° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 12° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -9° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -38° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -46° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -44° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -37° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -18° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -1° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 15° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 11° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -6° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -25° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -43° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -55° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -53° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 33° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 31° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 17° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -3° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -26° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -48° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -65° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -61° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -42° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 7° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 29° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 42° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 40° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 0° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -25° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -51° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -74° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -67° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -42° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 11° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 36° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 52° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 49° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 30° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 4° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -52° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -80° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -71° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -11° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 15° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 42° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 61° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 57° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 35° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 7° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -79° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -70° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -37° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -8° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 70° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 65° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 39° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -19° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -47° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -71° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -64° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -5° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 50° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 78° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 70° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -16° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -42° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -62° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -57° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 51° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 79° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 71° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 15° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -12° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -36° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -52° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -49° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -23° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 1° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 24° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 51° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 73° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 68° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 17° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -8° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -43° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -40° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 25° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 48° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 65° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 61° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 41° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 18° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -4° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -31° 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 74°N, and never sets south of 74°S.
NGC 5044 is 105 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 5044 tonight left it about 105 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 5044
75 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 5037, early spiral galaxy, 14′ NGC 5054, spiral galaxy, 27′ NGC 5017, elliptical galaxy, 42′ NGC 4984, lenticular galaxy, 1.8° NGC 5018, elliptical galaxy, 3.2° NGC 5105, late spiral galaxy, 3.5° NGC 5170, late spiral galaxy, 3.8° NGC 5079, barred spiral galaxy, 3.8°
NGC 5044 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Virgo Designations NGC 5044, 2MASX J13152396-1623079, MCG -03-34-034, PGC 046115, UGCA 341 Type elliptical galaxy (E) Right ascension (J2000) 13h 15.4m Declination (J2000) -16° 23′ Magnitude 10.7 (B 11.0) Surface brightness 23.2 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 3.7′ × 3.2′ Position angle 41° True size 111,500 light-years Distance 105 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 2,686 km/s, redshift 0.009 Best with Telescope Best month May Catalog page NGC 5001 to 5500
