Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 6956
NGC 6956 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Delphinus, 216.7 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Delphinus |
| Distance | 216.7 million light-years (66.43 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 141,700 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −22.07 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.04 |
| Luminosity | 2.9 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 20h 43m 53.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +12° 30′ 43″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.04. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 77° S. North of latitude 77° 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 217 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 3,843.5 billion years.