---
title: "NGC 5979"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5979"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. NGC 5979 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5979"
---

# NGC 5979

NGC 5979 is a planetary [nebula](https://spacecatalog.org/nebulae) in the constellation [Triangulum Australe](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/triangulum-australe), 4075 parsecs from Earth as published by Stanghellini+ 2008 (about 13 291 ly, converted by SpaceCatalog), shining at apparent magnitude 11.50 (V). Other catalogues list it as 2MASX J15474191-6113079, ESO 136-003 and ESO 136-3, among 8 designations in total. It was discovered in 1835.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Planetary nebula
- **HOW FAR:** 13 291 ly — The light arriving now left it that long ago.
- **HOW BIG ON THE SKY:** 8″ — Small enough that the full Moon would cover it several times over.
- **HOW BRIGHT (V):** 11.50 — A small telescope reaches it.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Triangulum Australe](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/triangulum-australe) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Planetary nebula |
| DISTANCE FROM EARTH | 4075 pc (Stanghellini+ 2008) — ≈ 13 291 ly, converted by SpaceCatalog · by Statistical distance scale for planetary nebulae (Stanghellini+ 2008) |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V) | 11.50 |
| CONSTELLATION | Triangulum Australe |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 15h 47m 41.1s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | −61° 13′ 04.3″ |
| 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) | 11.80 |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.50 |
| Apparent magnitude (J) | 12.41 |
| Apparent magnitude (H band) | 12.11 |
| Apparent magnitude (K) | 11.53 |

### 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 |
| --- | --- |
| Radial velocity | 23 km/s |
| Redshift (z) | 7.7×10⁻⁵ |
| Major axis | 0.13′ |

### 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 | PN |
| Wikidata item | Q1124608 |
| Wikipedia article | NGC 5979 |

### 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 |
| --- | --- |
| Distance catalogue entry | NGC 5979 |

## Also known as

- 2MASX: 2MASX J15474191-6113079
- ESO: ESO 136-003
- ESO: ESO 136-3
- HD: HD 140586
- IRAS: IRAS 15434-6103
- IRAS: IRAS Z15434-6103
- NGC: NGC 5979
- PN: PN G322.5-05.2

## 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 5979 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5979

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-5979,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{NGC 5979}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5979},
  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-5979