Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 6246A
NGC 6246A is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 245.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 245.1 million light-years (75.14 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 167,100 light-years · 1.9 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.05 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.33 |
| Luminosity | 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 50m 14.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +55° 23′ 05″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.33. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 35° S. North of latitude 35° N 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 245 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 4,347.4 billion years.