Caldwell 56
Nebula in Cetus · 1,600 light-years
🔭 Explore Caldwell 56 in the 3D map →View Caldwell 56 images →| Type | Nebula |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Right ascension | 0h 47m 03s |
| Declination | −11° 52′ |
| Object distance | 1,600 light-years |
| Apparent magnitude | 10.9 |
| Apparent size | 4.1′ (arc-minutes) |
| Approx. true diameter | 1.9 light-years across |
| Also known as | C56 · NGC 246 |
Although it appears about 4.1′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 1.9 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.
Observing Caldwell 56
Caldwell 56 lies in the constellation Cetus and is best placed in the evening sky around October. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. Lying near the celestial equator, it can be seen from both hemispheres. It is faint — plan for a moderate telescope and a dark, moonless sky. Note that the listed magnitude is spread across the whole object — diffuse galaxies and nebulae are often harder to see than the number alone suggests, so dark, moonless skies help a great deal.
See Caldwell 56 in Universe Finder
Open the interactive 3D map to fly to Caldwell 56 and see it in context among the real stars around it. Launch the 3D view →
Sources
- Position, magnitude and angular size from the OpenNGC catalogue (Mattia Verga).
- Object identity cross-referenced with SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg).
- Image credits and the original observation source are linked with each photograph.
Related objects
- Orion Nebula — nebula
- Ring Nebula — nebula
- Eagle Nebula — nebula
- Carina Nebula — nebula
- Lagoon Nebula — nebula