Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 6166A NED01
NGC 6166A NED01 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Hercules, 474.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hercules |
| Distance | 474.4 million light-years (145.46 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 104,400 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.37 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.44 |
| Luminosity | 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 28m 31.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +39° 31′ 16″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.44. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 50° S. North of latitude 50° 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 474 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 8,416.0 billion years.