---
title: "NGC 5256"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5256"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. NGC 5256 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5256"
---

# NGC 5256

NGC 5256 is a spiral [galaxy](https://spacecatalog.org/galaxies) Sa in the constellation [Ursa Major](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/ursa-major), shining at apparent magnitude 13.42 (V). Other catalogues list it as IRAS 13362+4831, IRAS F13362+4831 and LEDA 48192, among 7 designations in total. It was discovered in 1787.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Spiral galaxy
- **HOW BIG ON THE SKY:** 57″ — Small enough that the full Moon would cover it several times over.
- **HOW BRIGHT (V):** 13.42 — Faint: it takes a large telescope.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Ursa Major](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/ursa-major) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Spiral galaxy Sa |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V) | 13.42 |
| CONSTELLATION | Ursa Major |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 13h 38m 17.5s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | +48° 16′ 37.0″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1787 |

## 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 | Sa |

### 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) | 14.10 |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 13.42 |

### 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 | 0.95′ |
| Minor axis | 0.83′ |
| Position angle | 11° |

### 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 | GPair |
| Wikidata item | Q1118133 |
| Wikipedia article | NGC 5256 |

### WHERE THESE FIGURES CAME FROM

Which catalogue, paper or model each of the fields above was read from, where the source named one.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Morphology from | SIMBAD (quality D) |

## Also known as

- IRAS: IRAS 13362+4831
- IRAS: IRAS F13362+4831
- LEDA: LEDA 48192
- MCG: MCG +08-25-031
- NGC: NGC 5256
- PGC: PGC 48192
- UGC: UGC 8632

## 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 5256 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5256

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-5256,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{NGC 5256}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5256},
  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-5256