NGC 6946 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fireworks Galaxy |
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| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Right ascension | 20h 34m 52.3s |
| Declination | 60° 09′ 14″ |
| Redshift | 0.000160 |
| Distance | 22.5±7.8 Mly |
| Type | SAB(rs)cd |
| Notable features | Galaxy with lots of Supernovae |
| Other designations | |
| UGC 11597, Arp 29, PGC 65001, SPB93 263, 8C 2033+599, 11HUGS 410, IRAS 20338+5958, IRASF 20338+5958 | |
| William Herschel | |
| See also: Galaxy, List of galaxies | |
The Fireworks Galaxy, also known as NGC 6946, is a stunning spiral galaxy located in the constellations of Cepheus and Cygnus. It's quite far from us, about 22.5 million light-years away from Earth.
A famous astronomer named William Herschel first discovered this galaxy on September 9, 1798. It's a bit tricky to see clearly because a lot of dust and gas in space blocks our view. It also lies very close to the galactic plane, which is the flat part of our own Milky Way galaxy. The Fireworks Galaxy is about one-third the size of our Milky Way galaxy.
Why "Fireworks Galaxy"?
This galaxy got its cool nickname, the Fireworks Galaxy, because it has seen many huge star explosions! These explosions are called supernovae. Imagine a star that's much bigger than our Sun reaching the end of its life. It can explode with an incredible burst of light, becoming super bright for a short time.
The Fireworks Galaxy is special because these supernovae happen there very often. In just the last 100 years, astronomers have seen nine different supernovae explode in this galaxy! That's a lot compared to other galaxies.
Supernovae seen in the Fireworks Galaxy
Here are the names of the supernovae that have been observed in the Fireworks Galaxy:
- SN 1917a
- SN 1939c
- SN 1948b
- SNSN 1968d
- SN 1969p
- SN 1980k
- SN 2002hh
- SN 2004et
- SN2008s
Images for kids
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This image shows a giant star called N6946-BH1 in the Fireworks Galaxy. The picture on the left shows it before it vanished, and the picture on the right shows it after it disappeared, likely collapsing to form a black hole.
See also
In Spanish: NGC 6946 para niños
