Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 6285
NGC 6285 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 265.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 265.2 million light-years (81.30 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 83,200 light-years · 0.95 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.61 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.94 |
| Luminosity | 0.77 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 58m 24.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +58° 57′ 22″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.94. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 31° S. North of latitude 31° 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 265 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 4,703.9 billion years.