Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 6220
NGC 6220 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus, 321.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ophiuchus |
| Distance | 321.6 million light-years (98.61 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 173,000 light-years · 2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.33 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.64 |
| Luminosity | 3.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 47m 13.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −0° 16′ 31″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.64. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 90° N. 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 322 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 5,705.4 billion years.