Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 6143
NGC 6143 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 247.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 247.4 million light-years (75.86 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 102,100 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.74 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.66 |
| Luminosity | 0.86 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 21m 42.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +55° 05′ 10″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.66. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 35° S. North of latitude 35° 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 247 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 4,389.1 billion years.