---
title: "NGC 5981"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5981"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. NGC 5981 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5981"
---

# NGC 5981

NGC 5981 is a barred spiral [galaxy](https://spacecatalog.org/galaxies) SBbc in the constellation [Draco](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/draco), shining at apparent magnitude 12.93 (V). Other catalogues list it as 2MASX J15375266+5923382, 2MASX J15375345+5923304 and IRAS 15368+5933, among 10 designations in total. It was discovered in 1850.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Barred spiral galaxy
- **HOW BIG ON THE SKY:** 2.7′ — Small enough that the full Moon would cover it several times over.
- **HOW BRIGHT (V):** 12.93 — A small telescope reaches it.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Draco](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/draco) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Barred spiral galaxy SBbc |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V) | 12.93 |
| CONSTELLATION | Draco |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 15h 37m 53.5s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | +59° 23′ 30.3″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1850 |

## 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 | SBbc |

### 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) | 13.89 |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 12.93 |
| Apparent magnitude (J) | 10.41 |
| Apparent magnitude (H band) | 9.62 |
| Apparent magnitude (K) | 9.29 |
| Surface brightness | 23.35 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 | 2.73′ |
| Minor axis | 0.37′ |
| Position angle | 139° |

### WHEN IT WAS FOUND

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

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Discovered by | George Johnstone Stoney |

### 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 | Q1124622 |

## Also known as

- 2MASX: 2MASX J15375266+5923382
- 2MASX: 2MASX J15375345+5923304
- IRAS: IRAS 15368+5933
- IRAS: IRAS F15368+5933
- LEDA: LEDA 55647
- MCG: MCG +10-22-027
- NGC: NGC 5981
- PGC: PGC 55647
- SDSS: SDSS J153753.45+592330.3
- UGC: UGC 9948

## 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 5981 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5981

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-5981,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{NGC 5981}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-5981},
  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-5981