Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 6612
NGC 6612 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Lyra, 295.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Lyra |
| Distance | 295.7 million light-years (90.66 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 103,400 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −20.82 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.97 |
| Luminosity | 0.93 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 16m 10.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +36° 04′ 43″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.97. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 54° S. North of latitude 54° 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 296 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 5,245.4 billion years.