NGC 5638 is an elliptical galaxy in Virgo, 86 million light-years away
NGC 5638 is an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Virgo , 86 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 11.2 and spans 1.9′ × 1.7′ of sky, about 48,700 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 5638 from Arcturus
Arcturus
NGC 5638
VIRGO
NGC 5638 lies 16.3° south of Arcturus , the magnitude -0.1 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 5638 is highest in the evening in June
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 18° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 29° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 33° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 29° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 2° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -23° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -30° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 37° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 43° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 1° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -31° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -37° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -38° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -18° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 2° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 45° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 53° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 24° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 1° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -47° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -45° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 51° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 63° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 51° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 0° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -47° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -57° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -51° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 57° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 73° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 56° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 28° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -0° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -28° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -54° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -67° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -55° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 1° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 60° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 83° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 59° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 29° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -1° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -59° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -77° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -58° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 0° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 60° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 87° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 59° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 29° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -62° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -86° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -57° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -27° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -0° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 58° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 77° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 57° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 28° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -61° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -83° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -54° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -27° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -1° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 53° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 67° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 52° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -3° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -58° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -73° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -49° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -25° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 46° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 46° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 23° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -28° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -52° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -63° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -43° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -23° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -2° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 21° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 39° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 19° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -3° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -26° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -45° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -53° 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 87°S.
NGC 5638 is 86 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 5638 tonight left it about 86 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 5638
89 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 5668, late spiral galaxy, 1.5° NGC 5576, elliptical galaxy, 2.1° NGC 5574, lenticular galaxy, 2.2° NGC 5690, late spiral galaxy, 2.2° NGC 5566, barred spiral galaxy, 2.4° NGC 5560, spiral galaxy, 2.5° NGC 5679, galaxy triplet, 2.5° NGC 5679B, spiral galaxy, 2.5°
NGC 5638 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Virgo Designations NGC 5638, 2MASX J14294038+0314003, MCG +01-37-018, PGC 051787, SDSS J142940.37+031359.9, UGC 09308 Type elliptical galaxy (E) Right ascension (J2000) 14h 29.7m Declination (J2000) +03° 14′ Magnitude 11.2 (B 12.0) Surface brightness 22.4 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 1.9′ × 1.7′ Position angle 154° True size 48,700 light-years Distance 86 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 1,660 km/s, redshift 0.00555 Best with Telescope Best month June Catalog page NGC 5501 to 6000
