Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 6213
NGC 6213 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 250.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 250.5 million light-years (76.81 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 74,600 light-years · 0.85 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.35 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.08 |
| Luminosity | 0.6 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 41m 37.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +57° 48′ 54″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.08. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 32° S. North of latitude 32° 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 251 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 4,444.1 billion years.