Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 6051
NGC 6051 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Serpens, 446.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Serpens |
| Distance | 446.3 million light-years (136.83 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 242,800 light-years · 2.8 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −23.01 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.67 |
| Luminosity | 7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 04m 56.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +23° 55′ 58″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.67. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 66° S. North of latitude 66° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in May, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 446 million years ago. At that time complex animals were spreading through the seas and over the land; there were no dinosaurs yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 7,916.7 billion years.