Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 7406
NGC 7406 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Aquarius, 74.8 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Distance | 74.8 million light-years (22.93 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 30,800 light-years · 0.35 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.49 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 13.31 |
| Luminosity | 0.11 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 53m 56.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −6° 34′ 45″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 13.31. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 83° N. It stands highest at midnight in September, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 75 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 1,326.7 billion years.