---
title: "NGC 5238"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5238"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. NGC 5238 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5238"
---

# NGC 5238

NGC 5238 is an intermediate spiral [galaxy](https://spacecatalog.org/galaxies) SABd in the constellation [Canes Venatici](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/canes-venatici), shining at apparent magnitude 13.40 (V). Other catalogues list it as 2MASX J13344249+5136494, IRAS Z13325+5152 and LEDA 47853, among 12 designations in total. It was discovered in 1789.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Intermediate spiral galaxy
- **HOW BIG ON THE SKY:** 1.8′ — Small enough that the full Moon would cover it several times over.
- **HOW BRIGHT (V):** 13.40 — Faint: it takes a large telescope.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Canes Venatici](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/canes-venatici) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Intermediate spiral galaxy SABd |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V) | 13.40 |
| CONSTELLATION | Canes Venatici |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 13h 34m 42.5s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | +51° 36′ 49.2″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1789 |

## 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 | SABd |

### 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) | 13.95 |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 13.40 |
| Surface brightness | 23.68 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 | 1.75′ |
| Minor axis | 1.44′ |
| Position angle | 162° |

### WHEN IT WAS FOUND

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

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Discovered by | 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 | G |
| Wikidata item | Q1117967 |
| Wikipedia article | NGC 5238 |

## Also known as

- 2MASX: 2MASX J13344249+5136494
- IRAS: IRAS Z13325+5152
- LEDA: LEDA 47853
- LEDA: LEDA 47857
- MCG: MCG +09-22-082
- NGC: NGC 5238
- NGC: NGC 5238-1
- PGC: PGC 47853
- PGC: PGC 47857
- SDSS: SDSS J133442.50+513649.2
- SDSS: SDSS J133442.51+513649.2
- UGC: UGC 8565

## 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 5238 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5238

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-5238,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{NGC 5238}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5238},
  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-5238