Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Facing NGC 6946

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 9, 2012 is “Facing NGC 6946,” an image. It is credited to Composite Image Data – Subaru Telescope ( NAOJ ) and Robert Gendler; Processing – Robert Gendler. The original explanation runs about 160 words.

Facing NGC 6946
Credit: Composite Image Data – Subaru Telescope ( NAOJ ) and Robert Gendler; Processing – Robert Gendler Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“From our vantage point in the Milky Way Galaxy , we see NGC 6946 face-on . The big, beautiful spiral galaxy is located just 10 million light-years away, behind a veil of foreground dust and stars in the high and far-off constellation of Cepheus .”

— APOD editors, January 9, 2012

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
January 9, 2012
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Composite Image Data – Subaru Telescope ( NAOJ ) and Robert Gendler; Processing – Robert Gendler
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 160 words

All of January 2012 → · 2012 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

The Milky WayGalaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: January 9 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.