File:Irregular_Galaxy_NGC_55_(ESO_0914a).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Q50650
Sign in to saveAlso known as C 72, Caldwell 72, Nuevo Catálogo General 55, String of Pearls Galaxy
spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor
Key facts
- Constellation
- Sculptor
- Right ascension
- 00 14 53.6
- Declination
- −39 ° 11 ′ 47.9 ″
- Heliocentric radial velocity
- 131 ± 2 km/s
- Distance
- 6.5 ± 0.65 Mly , (2.00 ± 0.2 Mpc )
- Type
- SB(s)m
- Mass
- (2.0 ± 0.4) × 10 M ☉
- Size
- ~68,500 ly (20.99 kpc ) (estimated)
- Apparent size v
- 32.4′ × 5.6′
via Wikipedia infobox
~2 min read
Encyclopedic overview
NGC 55, also known as the String of Pearls Galaxy, is a Magellanic type barred spiral galaxy located about 6.5 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor. It was discovered on 7 July 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop. Along with its neighbor NGC 300, it is one of the closest galaxies to the Local Group, probably lying between the Milky Way and the Sculptor Group. It has an estimated mass of (2.0 ± 0.4) × 10 M☉.
Nearby galaxies and group information
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Q50650” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.