Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 6408
NGC 6408 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Hercules, 183.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hercules |
| Distance | 183.5 million light-years (56.26 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 125,400 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.95 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.80 |
| Luminosity | 1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 17h 38m 47.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +18° 52′ 40″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.80. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 71° S. North of latitude 71° 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 183 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 3,255.1 billion years.