NGC6946 · Fireworks Galaxy
| Chinese name | 烟花星系 |
|---|---|
| Type | Galaxy |
| Constellation | Cep |
| RA | 20h35m |
| Dec | +60° |
| Apparent magnitude | 8.8ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Northern |
| Best season | Summer |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Focal length | 中焦 600–1000mm |
About
The Fireworks Galaxy lies about 25 million light-years away on the Cepheus-Cygnus border, a face-on intermediate spiral. Over the past century it has produced more than ten supernovae, far more often than typical galaxies, earning its name. Its arms are studded with pink H II regions and blue clusters, marking intense star formation. Lying close to the plane of the Milky Way, its field is densely sprinkled with foreground stars. Dimmed somewhat by intervening Galactic dust, deep mid-focal-length imaging brings out its active arms and the scattered stars across them. It is a popular summer galaxy target in the northern sky.