NGC 5899 is a late spiral galaxy in Bootes, 145 million light-years away
NGC 5899 is a late spiral galaxy in the constellation Bootes , 145 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 12.2 and spans 2.1′ × 51″ of sky, about 88,300 light-years across. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, 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 5899 from Nekkar
Nekkar
NGC 5899
BOöTES
NGC 5899 lies 3.0° northeast of Nekkar , the magnitude 3.5 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 5899 is highest in the evening in June
JAN
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 13° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 31° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 45° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 59° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 71° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 69° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 55° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 40° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 27° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 12° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 12° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 25° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 42° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 61° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 79° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 75° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 55° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 36° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 2° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -6° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 19° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 38° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 59° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 82° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 75° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 53° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 32° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -0° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -15° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 12° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 55° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 75° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 70° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 49° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -9° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -17° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -12° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 5° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 49° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 66° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 63° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 43° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 20° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -0° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -18° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -27° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -35° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -1° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 21° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 42° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 57° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 54° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 36° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -8° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -27° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -37° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -44° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -28° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -8° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 34° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 45° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 29° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -35° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -47° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -35° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -15° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 7° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 37° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 35° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 21° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 0° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -43° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -57° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -62° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -42° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -21° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 0° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 17° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 25° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -6° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -28° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -50° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -66° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -69° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -47° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -27° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 16° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -13° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -56° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -76° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -74° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -52° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -0° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 6° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -4° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -20° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -39° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -60° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -82° 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 48°S, and never sets north of 48°N.
NGC 5899 is 145 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 5899 tonight left it about 145 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. Distance source: Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023).
Objects within 6° of NGC 5899
41 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 5899 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Bootes Designations NGC 5899, 2MASX J15150325+4202594, IRAS 15132+4214, MCG +07-31-045, PGC 054428, SDSS J151503.22+420259.4, UGC 09789 Type late spiral galaxy (Sc) Right ascension (J2000) 15h 15.1m Declination (J2000) +42° 03′ Magnitude 12.2 (B 12.0) Surface brightness 22.1 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 2.1′ × 51″ Position angle 21° True size 88,300 light-years Distance 145 million light-years (Cosmicflows-4 (Tully et al. 2023)) Radial velocity 2,626 km/s, redshift 0.0088 Best with Large telescope Best month June Catalog page NGC 5501 to 6000
