Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 6490
NGC 6490 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Hercules, 151.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hercules |
| Distance | 151.1 million light-years (46.34 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 56,100 light-years · 0.64 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.16 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.17 |
| Luminosity | 0.51 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 17h 54m 30.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +18° 22′ 33″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.17. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 72° S. North of latitude 72° 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 151 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 2,681.1 billion years.