Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 6168
NGC 6168 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Hercules, 117.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hercules |
| Distance | 117.4 million light-years (35.99 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 74,300 light-years · 0.85 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.26 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.52 |
| Luminosity | 0.22 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 31m 21.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +20° 11′ 06″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.52. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 70° S. North of latitude 70° 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 117 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 2,082.3 billion years.