Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 6951
NGC 6951 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cepheus, 66.3 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cepheus |
| Distance | 66.3 million light-years (20.34 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 100,800 light-years · 1.2 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.55 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 9.99 |
| Luminosity | 1.8 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 20h 37m 14.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +66° 06′ 20″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 9.99. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 24° S. North of latitude 24° N 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 66 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 1,176.8 billion years.