NGC 6251 is an elliptical galaxy (E) in Ursa Minor, 277 million light-years away
NGC 6251 (PGC 58472, UGC 10501) is an elliptical galaxy (E) in the constellation Ursa Minor , 277 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 13.9 and spans 1.7′ × 1.4′ of sky, about 136,800 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in July.
Galaxy: a system of billions of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity, far outside the Milky Way. Spiral galaxies have a disk with arms; elliptical galaxies are smooth, round or oval swarms of older stars.
Finding NGC 6251 from Polaris
Polaris
NGC 6251
URSA MINOR
NGC 6251 lies 8.1° northwest of Polaris , the magnitude 2.0 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 6251 is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 53° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 53° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 56° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 59° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 63° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 66° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 67° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 66° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 63° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 59° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 56° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 53° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 43° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 44° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 46° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 53° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 56° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 57° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 56° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 53° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 49° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 46° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 43° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 33° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 34° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 36° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 40° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 43° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 46° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 47° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 46° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 43° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 40° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 36° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 33° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 23° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 24° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 36° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 33° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 30° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 23° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 24° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 26° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 27° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 26° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 23° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 20° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 3° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 6° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 16° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 17° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 16° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 10° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 3° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -6° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 0° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 4° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -0° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -17° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -16° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -4° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -6° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -10° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -16° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -27° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -26° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -24° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -14° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -20° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -24° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -26° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -37° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -36° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -23° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -23° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -23° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -36° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -47° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -46° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -40° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -36° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -36° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -40° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -44° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -46° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 7°S, and never sets north of 7°N.
NGC 6251 is 277 million light-years away
The light seen from NGC 6251 tonight left it about 277 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. It ranks 339 of 422 by distance among the galaxies on Go Astronomy. Distance source: Hubble flow, v=5936 km/s, H0=70.
Objects within 6° of NGC 6251
NGC 6251 catalog data
Field Value
Designations PGC 58472, UGC 10501, NGC 6251 Type elliptical galaxy (E) Constellation Ursa Minor Right ascension (J2000) 16h 32.5m Declination (J2000) +82° 32′ Magnitude 13.9 Surface brightness 23.9 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 1.7′ × 1.4′ True size 136,800 light-years Distance 277 million light-years (Hubble flow, v=5936 km/s, H0=70) Best month July Best with Telescope
