Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 6640
NGC 6640 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Lyra, 317.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Lyra |
| Distance | 317.2 million light-years (97.26 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 124,100 light-years · 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.73 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.21 |
| Luminosity | 2.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 28m 08.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | +34° 18′ 10″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.21. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 56° S. North of latitude 56° 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 317 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 5,627.3 billion years.