Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 6497
NGC 6497 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 287.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 287.1 million light-years (88.03 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 130,500 light-years · 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.83 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.89 |
| Luminosity | 2.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 17h 51m 18.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +59° 28′ 15″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.89. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 31° S. North of latitude 31° 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 287 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 5,093.2 billion years.