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NGC 6234

Elliptical Galaxy in Ophiuchus

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Proper Name	None
Messier Number	None
NGC/IC Number	NGC 6234
Constellation	Ophiuchus
Right Ascension	16h 51m 57s
Declination	+4° 23' 1"
Distance	c.429,600,000 light years c.131,700,000 parsecs
Magnitude	Apparent: +15.32 Absolute: -20.44
Mean Diameter	Apparent: 0.7' Actual: c.98,700 light years
Hubble Type	E0 elliptical
Optimum Visibility	June
Notes	An elliptical galaxy close to spherical in shape and some 100,000 light years across, NGC 6234 lies in the north of Ophiuchus, very close to its border with Hercules.

A distant galaxy on the edges of the constellation Ophiuchus. Estimates of its precise distance vary somewhat, but it is generally agreed to fall rather more than four hundred million light years from the Milky Way. This is an elliptical galaxy classified as E0 (that is, close to being spherical in shape). It approaches 100,000 light years in diameter, making its dimensions comparable to those of the Milky Way Galaxy (while being quite different in structure).

Imagery provided by Aladin sky atlas

NGC 6234 is part of a small group of galaxies that cross the border between northern Ophiuchus and southern Hercules. Other than NGC 6234 itself, the most prominent among this group's members is NGC 6230, another elliptical galaxy across the border in Hercules, which appears to be similar to NGC 6234 in both structure and size.

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