---
title: "NGC 6997"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-6997"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. NGC 6997 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-6997"
---

# NGC 6997

NGC 6997 is a [nebula](https://spacecatalog.org/nebulae) with [cluster](https://spacecatalog.org/clusters) in the constellation [Cygnus](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/cygnus), shining at apparent magnitude 10.00 (V). Other catalogues list it as C 2054+444 and MWSC 3432. It was discovered in 1786.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Nebula with cluster
- **HOW BIG ON THE SKY:** 6.9′ — About 0.2 of the full Moon's width.
- **HOW BRIGHT (V):** 10.00 — A small telescope reaches it.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Cygnus](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/cygnus) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Nebula with cluster |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V) | 10.00 |
| CONSTELLATION | Cygnus |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 20h 56m 39.5s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | +44° 37′ 53.4″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1786 |

## 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 (V) | 10.00 |

### 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 | −20 km/s |
| Redshift (z) | −6.5×10⁻⁵ |
| Major axis | 6.9′ |

### 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 | Cl+N |
| Wikidata item | Q1148987 |

## Also known as

- IAU cluster: C 2054+444
- MWSC: MWSC 3432
- NGC: NGC 6997

## 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 6997 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-6997

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-6997,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{NGC 6997}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-6997},
  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-6997