Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 6521A
NGC 6521A is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Draco, 358.1 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Distance | 358.1 million light-years (109.79 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 149,800 light-years · 1.7 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.34 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.86 |
| Luminosity | 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 17h 56m 35.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +62° 37′ 01″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.86. 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 358 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 6,352.2 billion years.