---
title: "NGC 258"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-258"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. NGC 258 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-258"
---

# NGC 258

NGC 258 is a spiral [galaxy](https://spacecatalog.org/galaxies) Sbc in the constellation [Andromeda](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/andromeda), shining at apparent magnitude 15.23 (B). Other catalogues list it as 2MASX J00481277+2739257, LEDA 2829 and MCG +04-03-005, among 5 designations in total. It was discovered in 1848.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Spiral galaxy
- **HOW BIG ON THE SKY:** 31″ — Small enough that the full Moon would cover it several times over.
- **HOW BRIGHT (B):** 15.23 — Faint: it takes a large telescope.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Andromeda](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/andromeda) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Spiral galaxy Sbc |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (B) | 15.23 |
| CONSTELLATION | Andromeda |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 00h 48m 12.8s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | +27° 39′ 25.9″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1848 |

## Catalogue data

### WHAT KIND OF THING IT IS

What the object is in itself, rather than how it happens to look from here.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Hubble type | Sbc |

### HOW BRIGHT IT IS

What the light adds up to, measured through one filter at a time. A magnitude is a brightness on a backwards scale — the smaller the number, the brighter the object.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Apparent magnitude (B) | 15.23 |
| Apparent magnitude (J) | 12.74 |
| Apparent magnitude (H band) | 12.12 |
| Apparent magnitude (K) | 11.93 |
| Surface brightness | 22.36 mag/arcsec² |

### 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 | 0.51′ |
| Minor axis | 0.42′ |
| Position angle | 115° |

### WHEN IT WAS FOUND

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

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Discovered by | William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse |

### OTHER NAMES AND NUMBERS

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

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| OpenNGC type code | G |
| Wikidata item | Q1035913 |
| Wikipedia article | NGC 258 |

## Also known as

- 2MASX: 2MASX J00481277+2739257
- LEDA: LEDA 2829
- MCG: MCG +04-03-005
- NGC: NGC 258
- PGC: PGC 2829

## 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 258 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-258

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-258,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{NGC 258}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-258},
  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-258