Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 6464
NGC 6464 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 463.0 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 463.0 million light-years (141.96 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 121,100 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.08 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.68 |
| Luminosity | 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 17h 45m 47.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +60° 53′ 51″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.68. 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 463 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 8,213.5 billion years.