Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Cygnus (Cyg)  ·  Contains:  Fireworks Galaxy  ·  NGC 6946
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NGC 6946 The Fireworks Galaxy, SparkyHT
NGC 6946 The Fireworks Galaxy
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NGC 6946 The Fireworks Galaxy

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NGC 6946 The Fireworks Galaxy, SparkyHT
NGC 6946 The Fireworks Galaxy
Powered byPixInsight

NGC 6946 The Fireworks Galaxy

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Description

The Fireworks Galaxy is a bright spiral galaxy located on the border between the constellations Cepheus and Cygnus. It is one of the nearest spiral galaxies to the Sun. It appears face-on near the orange star Eta Cephei. The galaxy has an apparent magnitude of 9.6 and lies approximately 25.2 million light years away. It has the designation NGC 6946 in the New General Catalogue.

The Fireworks Galaxy is classified as an intermediate spiral galaxy, which means that it has a structure that is between that of an unbarred and barred spiral galaxy. Its spiral structure is quite irregular and it has unusual magnetic arms located between the optical ones.

The galaxy has an apparent size of about 11.48 by 10.72 arcminutes in optical wavelengths, but appears considerably larger in radio wavelengths. The Uppsala General Catalogue of Galaxies (UGC) lists a major and minor axis of 14 arcminutes and a photographic magnitude of 10.5 for the galaxy. NGC 6946 was nicknamed the Fireworks Galaxy because it has hosted 10 supernovae over the last century, which is more than any other known galaxy and ten times the rate seen in the Milky Way. It is classified as an active starburst galaxy, one that has an extraordinarily high rate of star formation. The Fireworks Galaxy is a popular target for astronomers studying the evolution of massive stars, as well as for amateur astronomers looking for bright targets for small and medium telescopes.

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  • NGC 6946 The Fireworks Galaxy, SparkyHT
    Original
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    NGC 6946 The Fireworks Galaxy, SparkyHT
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Description: Reduced stars with Bill Blanshan's star reduction script.

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NGC 6946 The Fireworks Galaxy, SparkyHT