NGC 55
Scientific overview
NGC 55 is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor. It shines at apparent magnitude 8.54 and spans about 29.85 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 55
| Distance | 4,468,342 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 38,799 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Physical size (minor axis) | 3,964 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Redshift (z) | 0.000437 ± 6.6713e-6 | NED · catalogued |
| Radial velocity | 129 ± 2 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 3.723342 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -39.196628 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2020ApJ...902..145K · distance indicator: T-F · catalogued value · source value 1.37 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 · 2017MNRAS.468..492P · catalogued value · NED quality UUN · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2012AJ....144....4M · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2006AJ....131.1163S · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2006AJ....131.1163S · 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 Sculptor
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 288NGC 288 | Globular cluster | 8.13 | 9.6 |
| NGC 300C 70 · NGC 300 | Spiral galaxy | 8.66 | 19.41 |
| NGC 7793NGC 7793 | Spiral galaxy | 9.29 | 10.42 |
| Sculptor FilamentC 65 · NGC 253 | Barred spiral galaxy | 11.11 | 26.79 |
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.