Fireworks Galaxy
RA 20h 33m · Dec +60° 21′
5′

Named for its prolific supernova production — ten confirmed in the last century, more than any other known galaxy. A face-on spiral with prominent knots of star formation; sits on the Cepheus/Cygnus border in a rich Milky Way field. Often paired with the open cluster NGC 6939.

Galaxy

Fireworks Galaxy

NGC 6946 · Cepheus
These photons are ~22.5 million years old
UV/IRUV/IR-cut. Blocks ultraviolet and infrared so refractor optics stay in focus across the visible band.ZWO Seestar S50ZWO Seestar S50Aperture 50mm · Focal length 250mm · f/5 · Apo triplet with ED element · Sony IMX462 colour CMOS sensor (1920 x 1080, 2.1MP)…View equipment →
⧉ 5 versions of this capture — pick one to see its image and log
↻ Revisited — built over 2 nights, the next night
  1. 1 24/09/2025 18m (108 × 10s) ZWO Seestar S50, ZWO Seestar S50 Camera
  2. 2 25/09/2025 18m (108 x 10s) ZWO Seestar S50, ZWO Seestar S50 Camera
24/09/2025 25/09/2025 The next night
Date
24/09/2025
Location
36.3858° N, 28.0412° E
Integration
18m (108 × 10s)
Software
ZWO Seestar app
Notes
·
Total effort
1h 30m over 2 nights
Moon
🌒Waxing crescent, 5% lit
Plate solve
Centre RA
20h 33m 29.3s
Centre Dec
+60° 21′ 05″
Field
42.8′ × 76.0′
Pixel scale
2.38″/px
Orientation
-75.9° E of N
Hemisphere
Northern
Also in this frame
C12NGC 6939

Catalogued objects inside the plate-solved field, nearest the centre first. Highlighted names have their own photo here.

TelescopeZWO Seestar S50
CameraZWO Seestar S50 Camera
RigFamily Holiday Rig

Where to find it

Finder chart
+60°+60°10′+60°20′+60°30′+60°40′+60°50′20h28m20h29m20h29m20h30m20h31m20h31m20h32m20h33m20h33m20h34m20h35m20h35m20h36m20h37m20h37m20h38m20h39mNGC 6939NGC 6946NE42.8′ x 76.0′5′

Star field and catalogued objects inside the plate-solved field, oriented to the solve. Fully offline, from the bundled star and deep-sky catalogues.

Interactive sky chart centred on 20 33 29.3 +60 21 05. Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, click a star or object to identify it. Zoom in to the plate-solved field for the DSS survey photo; zoom out for constellation figures and neighbouring catalogue objects. Fully self-hosted: the star and deep-sky catalogues and the survey image are all served from this site, so nothing external loads. Imagery: DSS2 colour (STScI / POSS-II). Constellation figures © Dominic Ford (GPLv3).

Captured from · Ρόδος (Rhodes)
36.3858° N, 28.0412° E · view on OpenStreetMap ↗ · Place data © GeoNames (CC BY)

Frequently asked questions

What kind of object is NGC 6946?
NGC 6946 is a galaxy.
Which constellation is NGC 6946 in?
NGC 6946 lies in the constellation Cepheus.
How far away is NGC 6946?
The light in this image left NGC 6946 roughly ~22.5 million years ago, so that is how far back in time you are seeing it.
What are the coordinates of NGC 6946?
NGC 6946 sits at right ascension 20h 33m 29s and declination +60° 21′ 05″ (J2000).
When is the best time to photograph NGC 6946?
NGC 6946 is circumpolar from around 36°N - it never sets, and rides highest (about 66° altitude) on evenings around July.
What else is in this frame?
The plate-solved field also contains C12 and NGC 6939.
What equipment was used to photograph NGC 6946?
This image of NGC 6946 was captured with ZWO Seestar S50 and ZWO Seestar S50 Camera.
How much exposure time went into this image?
This image of NGC 6946 represents 18m (108 × 10s) + 18m (108 x 10s) of total integration time.

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