| Messier 56 | |
|---|---|
Messier 56 by Hubble Space Telescope. 3.6′ view Credit: NASA/STScI/WikiSky |
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| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Class | X |
| Constellation | Lyra |
| Right ascension | 19h 16m 35.50s[1] |
| Declination | +30° 11′ 04.2″[1] |
| Distance | 32.9 kly[2] (10.1 kpc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +8.3 |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 8′.8 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | 42 ly[3] |
| Other designations | M56, NGC 6779, GCl 110[1] |
| See also: Globular cluster, List of globular clusters | |
Messier 56 (also known as M56 or NGC 6779) is a globular cluster in the constellation Lyra. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1779. M56 is at a distance of about 32,900 light-years from Earth and measures roughly 84 light-years across.
The brightest stars in M56 are of 13th magnitude while it contains only about a dozen known variable stars, such as V6 (RV Tauri star; period: 90 days) or V1 (Cepheid: 1.510 days); other variable stars are V2 (irregular) and V3 (semiregular).
Coordinates: 19h 16m 35.50s, +30° 11′ 04.2″
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