NGC 5251

NGC 5251 is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation of Boötes. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background is 11202 ± 17 km/s, which corresponds to a Hubble distance of 165.22 ± 11.57 Mpc (~539 million light-years).^[1] It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 11 April 1785.^[2]

NGC 5251
NGC 5251 imaged by SDSS
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation	Boötes
Right ascension	13h 37m 24.7565s[1]
Declination	+27° 25′ 09.993″[1]
Redshift	0.036558[1]
Heliocentric radial velocity	10960 ± 3 km/s[1]
Distance	538.9 ± 37.7 Mly (165.22 ± 11.57 Mpc)[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)	13.9[1]
Characteristics
Type	S?[1]
Size	~183,100 ly (56.14 kpc) (estimated)[1]
Apparent size (V)	0.7′ × 0.7′[1]
Other designations
IRAS F13351+2740, 2MASX J13372485+2725097, MCG +05-32-044, PGC 48119, CGCG 161-090[1]

The SIMBAD database lists NGC 5251 as a LINER galaxy, i.e. a galaxy whose nucleus has an emission spectrum characterized by broad lines of weakly ionized atoms.^[3]

One supernova has been observed in NGC 5251: SN 2024bci (Type Ia, mag. 18.77) was discovered by the GOTO (telescope array) on 24 January 2024.^[4]

See also

• List of NGC objects (5001–6000)