Galaxy · Irregular
NGC 6240
NGC 6240 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus, 341.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Irregular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ophiuchus |
| Distance | 341.9 million light-years (104.84 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 194,300 light-years · 2.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −23.72 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.38 |
| Luminosity | 13 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 52m 58.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +2° 24′ 04″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.38. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 88° S. 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 342 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 6,065.8 billion years.