Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 6300
NGC 6300 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Ara, 51.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ara |
| Distance | 51.7 million light-years (15.84 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 87,500 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.20 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.80 |
| Luminosity | 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 17h 16m 59.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −62° 49′ 14″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.80. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 27° N. South of latitude 27° 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 52 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 916.5 billion years.