NGC 5053
Scientific overview
NGC 5053 is a globular cluster in the constellation Coma Berenices. It shines at apparent magnitude 9.96 and spans about 4.8 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 · NGC 5053
| Radial velocity | 42.5 ± 0.2 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 199.112875 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | 17.70025 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2018MNRAS.478.1520B · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2010AJ....140.1830G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2010AJ....140.1830G · 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 Coma Berenices
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 53M 53 · NGC 5024 | Globular cluster | 7.79 | 9 |
| Black Eye GalaxyM 64 · NGC 4826 | Barred spiral galaxy | 8.52 | 10.52 |
| M 85M 85 · NGC 4382 | Lenticular galaxy | 9.05 | 6.95 |
| NGC 4725NGC 4725 | Barred spiral galaxy | 9.38 | 9.71 |
| M 100M 100 · NGC 4321 | Barred spiral galaxy | 9.47 | 6.1 |
| NGC 4494NGC 4494 | Elliptical galaxy | 9.8 | 4.35 |
| Coma PinwheelM 99 · NGC 4254 | Spiral galaxy | 9.84 | 5.04 |
| NGC 4559C 36 · NGC 4559 | Spiral galaxy | 9.92 | 10.57 |
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.