NGC 6164
Scientific overview
NGC 6164 is a nebula in the constellation Norma. It shines at apparent magnitude 6.71 and spans about 1.41 arcminutes of sky.
Observation guide
Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.
Location in the sky
Precision measurements
Distances and velocities from SIMBAD · HD 148937
| Distance | 3,875 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 1.589329 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Physical size (minor axis) | 0.67631 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Radial velocity | -53.9 ± 2 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 248.468279 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -48.111243 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2020yCat.1350....0G · distance indicator: paral · catalogued value · source value 1188.072 pc · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (major axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (minor axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 1979IAUS...30...57E · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
Physical size is derived from the OpenNGC angular size and the catalogued distance (small-angle: size = angle × distance). This is a Galactic object: its Doppler shift is shown as a radial velocity, not a cosmological redshift. Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Norma
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| S Nor ClusterC 89 · NGC 6087 | Open cluster | 5.4 | 10.2 |
| NGC 6067NGC 6067 | Open cluster | 5.6 | 8.1 |
| NGC 6169NGC 6169 | Open cluster | 6.6 | 4.2 |
| NGC 6167NGC 6167 | Open cluster | 6.7 | 7.2 |
| NGC 6165NGC 6165 | Nebula | 6.71 | 2.5 |
| NGC 6134NGC 6134 | Open cluster | 7.2 | 6.9 |
| NGC 6152NGC 6152 | Open cluster | 8.1 | 6.6 |
| NGC 5925NGC 5925 | Open cluster | 8.4 | 4.8 |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- OpenNGCOpenNGC (M. Verga) — NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogue data
Openly-licensed deep-sky catalogue: object types, positions, magnitudes, sizes, morphology, and cross-identifiers.