Celestial Objects

Caldwell 12

Galaxies

Citation Formats

General Reference

Space and Astronomy Atlas. "Caldwell 12." Accessed September 2, 2026. https://space.interactiveatlas.org/celestial-objects/caldwell-12.

APA Style

Space and Astronomy Atlas. (n.d.). Caldwell 12. Retrieved September 2, 2026, from https://space.interactiveatlas.org/celestial-objects/caldwell-12

BibTeX

@misc{spaceandastronomyatlas-caldwell-12,
  author = {Space and Astronomy Atlas},
  title = {Caldwell 12},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://space.interactiveatlas.org/celestial-objects/caldwell-12},
  note = {Accessed September 2, 2026}
}

Caldwell 12, also known as the Fireworks Galaxy or NGC 6946, is a spiral galaxy straddling the border of the constellations Cepheus and Cygnus, discovered by William Herschel in 1798. It lies roughly 18 to 25 million light-years from Earth and has one of the highest rates of observed supernovae of any known galaxy, with ten recorded within it over the past century, giving rise to its popular nickname.

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