Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 6521
NGC 6521 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 383.6 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 383.6 million light-years (117.61 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 197,000 light-years · 2.3 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.59 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.76 |
| Luminosity | 4.7 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 17h 55m 48.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +62° 36′ 44″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.76. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 27° S. North of latitude 27° 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 384 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 6,804.7 billion years.