Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 6684
NGC 6684 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pavo, 28.4 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Pavo |
| Distance | 28.4 million light-years (8.70 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 34,100 light-years · 0.39 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.30 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 10.40 |
| Luminosity | 0.23 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 48m 57.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −65° 10′ 24″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 10.40. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 25° N. South of latitude 25° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in July, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 28 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 503.4 billion years.