NGC 55 | |
---|---|
Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
Constellation | Sculptor[1] |
Right ascension | 00h 14m 53.6s[2] |
Declination | −39° 11′ 47.9″[2] |
Redshift | 0.000437[2] |
Heliocentric radial velocity | 131 ± 2 km/s[2] |
Distance | 6.5 ± 0.65 Mly (2.00 ± 0.2 Mpc)[3][4] [a] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 7.87[5][6] |
Characteristics | |
Type | SB(s)m[2] |
Mass | (2.0 ± 0.4) × 1010 M☉ |
Size | ~68,500 ly (20.99 kpc) (estimated)[2] |
Apparent size (V) | 32.4′ × 5.6′[2] |
Other designations | |
PGC 1014,[2] Caldwell 72, 2MASS J00145360-3911478, IRAS F00124-3929, ESO 293-50, MCG -07-01-013[5] |
NGC 55, also known as the String of Pearls Galaxy,[7] 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.[8] 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.[8] It has an estimated mass of (2.0 ± 0.4) × 1010 M☉.[9]
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