Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 6221
NGC 6221 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Ara, 69.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ara |
| Distance | 69.8 million light-years (21.41 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 124,900 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.69 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.96 |
| Luminosity | 2.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 52m 46.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −59° 13′ 01″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.96. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 31° N. South of latitude 31° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in June, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 70 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 1,238.7 billion years.