Globular cluster · Lyra
M56
Also known as: NGC 6779
mag 8.27′ across
About
M56 is a globular cluster of magnitude 8.2 in Lyra, about 7′ across.
How to find it
- M56 is in the constellation Lyra.
- Best evenings: around late August it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from north of 50° S.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesNot visible to the naked eye.
- Binoculars (10×50)A small fuzzy star.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)A bright round glow; its edges break into stars at high power.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | M56, NGC 6779 |
|---|---|
| Type | Globular cluster |
| Magnitude | 8.2The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 7′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Surface brightness | ≈ 21.1 mag/arcsec²Estimate from the magnitude and size, per square arcsecond. |
| Constellation | Lyra |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 19h 16m 35.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | +30° 11′ 04″ |
More in Lyra
Sources and credits
Catalog data: OpenNGC by Mattia Verga, CC BY-SA 4.0, and d3-celestial by Olaf Frohn, BSD 3-Clause. All data sources →