NGC 956
Scientific overview
NGC 956 is an open cluster in the constellation Andromeda. It shines at apparent magnitude 8.9 and spans about 4.5 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 956
| Distance | 11,269 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 14.750698 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 38.0625 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | 44.563333 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2017AstBu..72..257L · catalogued value · source value 3455 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
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2008AN....329..602M · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2008AN....329..602M · 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 Andromeda
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andromeda GalaxyM 31 · NGC 224 | Spiral galaxy | 3.44 | 177.83 |
| NGC 7686NGC 7686 | Open cluster | 5.6 | 3.6 |
| NGC 752C 28 · NGC 752 | Open cluster | 5.7 | 39 |
| M 32M 32 · NGC 221 | Elliptical galaxy | 8.13 | 7.74 |
| M 110M 110 · NGC 205 | Elliptical galaxy | 8.15 | 16.22 |
| Copeland's Blue SnowballC 22 · NGC 7662 | Planetary nebula | 8.3 | 0.28 |
| NGC 891C 23 · NGC 891 | Spiral galaxy | 10.01 | 13.03 |
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.