---
title: "NGC 2052"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2052"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. NGC 2052 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2052"
---

# NGC 2052

NGC 2052 is a [nebula](https://spacecatalog.org/nebulae) in the constellation [Dorado](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/dorado). Other catalogues list it as ESO 056-176. It was discovered in 1834.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Nebula
- **HOW BIG ON THE SKY:** 18.0′ — About 0.6 of the full Moon's width.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Dorado](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/dorado) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Nebula |
| CONSTELLATION | Dorado |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 05h 37m 11.1s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | −69° 46′ 27.1″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1834 |

## Catalogue data

### WHERE IT IS AND HOW IT MOVES

Position, motion across the sky and the size it covers on it. These are measurements of the object as seen from here, so every one of them depends on where here is.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Major axis | 18′ |
| Minor axis | 12′ |

### WHEN IT WAS FOUND

Who first saw it, from where, and by what method.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Discovered by | John Frederick William Herschel |

### OTHER NAMES AND NUMBERS

The identifiers other catalogues file this object under, for anyone joining this data to theirs.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| OpenNGC type code | Neb |
| Wikidata item | Q1046646 |

## Also known as

- ESO: ESO 056-176
- NGC: NGC 2052

## Source

[OpenNGC](https://github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC) — CC-BY-SA-4.0

The producer asks: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

How this was made: https://spacecatalog.org/methods#source-openngc

## Cite this page

SpaceCatalog. NGC 2052 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2052

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-2052,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{NGC 2052}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2052},
  note         = {Catalogue entry, data release DR1 (2026-08-21). Values from OpenNGC.}
}
```

OpenNGC — CC-BY-SA-4.0

Acknowledgement the producer asks for: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The page itself, with its pictures, the sky map and the observing tools: https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2052