Galaxy · Irregular
KK 246
KK 246 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, 25.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Irregular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Distance | 25.5 million light-years (7.83 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 8,676 light-years · 0.099 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −14.30 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 15.17 |
| Luminosity | 0.0023 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 20h 03m 57.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −31° 40′ 54″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 15.17. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 58° N. South of latitude 58° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in July, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 26 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 453.0 billion years.