Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 6232
NGC 6232 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 206.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 206.8 million light-years (63.39 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 92,700 light-years · 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.79 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.22 |
| Luminosity | 0.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 43m 20.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +70° 37′ 57″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.22. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 19° S. North of latitude 19° 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 207 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 3,667.6 billion years.