---
title: "NGC 5120"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5120"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. NGC 5120 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5120"
---

# NGC 5120

NGC 5120 is an open [cluster](https://spacecatalog.org/clusters) in the constellation [Centaurus](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/centaurus), shining at apparent magnitude 10.80 (V). Other catalogues list it as ESO 096-011, ESO 96-11 and C 1322-631. It was discovered in 1835.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Open cluster
- **HOW BRIGHT (V):** 10.80 — A small telescope reaches it.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Centaurus](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/centaurus) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Open cluster |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V) | 10.80 |
| CONSTELLATION | Centaurus |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 13h 25m 39.4s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | −63° 27′ 30.0″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1835 |

## Catalogue data

### 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) | 11.68 |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 10.80 |

### 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 | OCl |
| Wikidata item | Q1117092 |

## Also known as

- ESO: ESO 096-011
- ESO: ESO 96-11
- IAU cluster: C 1322-631
- NGC: NGC 5120

## 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 5120 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5120

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-5120,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{NGC 5120}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5120},
  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-5120