Galaxy · Lenticular
NGC 6945
NGC 6945 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aquarius, 176.9 million light-years away.
| Type | Lenticular |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Distance | 176.9 million light-years (54.24 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 88,000 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.11 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.56 |
| Luminosity | 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 20h 39m 00.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | −4° 58′ 21″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.56. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 85° N. 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 177 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 3,138.2 billion years.