NGC 1553
Scientific overview
NGC 1553 is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Dorado. It shines at apparent magnitude 9.31 and spans about 6.25 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 and redshift from NED · NGC 1553
| Distance | 5.0978e+7 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 92,681 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Physical size (minor axis) | 63,616 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Redshift (z) | 0.003602 ± 3.7000e-5 | NED · catalogued |
| Radial velocity | 1,205 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 64.043624 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -55.78002 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2016AJ....152...50T · catalogued value · source value 15.63 Mpc · 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
- Redshift (z): NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database · NED · ObjectLookup · Redshift · 1991RC3.9.C...0000d · catalogued value · NED quality SUN · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2002LEDA.........0P · 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). Redshift is the object's measured redshift — a negative value is a blueshift (the galaxy is approaching, its motion dominated by local rather than cosmic expansion). Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Dorado
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Dor ClusterC 103 · NGC 2070 | H II region | 7.25 | 16 |
| NGC 2074NGC 2074 | Cluster with nebulosity | 8.5 | 4 |
| NGC 1955NGC 1955 | H II region | 8.87 | 4 |
| NGC 1850NGC 1850 | Globular cluster | 8.96 | 3 |
| NGC 2014NGC 2014 | Nebula | 8.97 | 5.1 |
| NGC 1747NGC 1747 | Open cluster | 9.37 | 4.4 |
| NGC 1763NGC 1763 | Cluster with nebulosity | 9.4 | 5.2 |
| NGC 2042NGC 2042 | Open cluster | 9.58 | 4.5 |
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.