Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 6586
NGC 6586 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Hercules, 147.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hercules |
| Distance | 147.3 million light-years (45.16 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 65,000 light-years · 0.74 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.08 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.19 |
| Luminosity | 0.47 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 13m 38.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +21° 05′ 24″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.19. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 69° S. North of latitude 69° 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 147 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 2,612.9 billion years.