Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 6306
NGC 6306 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 138.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 138.5 million light-years (42.47 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 61,700 light-years · 0.71 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.40 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.74 |
| Luminosity | 0.25 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 17h 07m 36.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +60° 43′ 43″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.74. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 29° S. North of latitude 29° 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 139 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 2,457.2 billion years.