| NGC 5256 | |
|---|---|
 NGC 5256 as seen through theHubble Space Telescope | |
| Observation data (J2000epoch) | |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Right ascension | 13h 38m 17.5s[1] |
| Declination | +48° 16′ 37″[1] |
| Redshift | 0.027863±0.000043[1] |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 8353±13 km/s[1] |
| Galactocentric velocity | 8447±13 km/s[1] |
| Distance | 420 Mly (129 Mpc)[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SAB(nc)P[3] |
| Apparent size (V) | 1.20′ × 1.1′[1] |
| Other designations | |
| UGC 8632, MCG 8-25-31, MK 266, PGC 48192, KCPG 388A, IRAS13362+4831, ZWG 246.21 and 1ZW 67[1] | |
NGC 5256 is an object that contains twodisc galaxies, that arecolliding into each other. It is located in the constellationUrsa Major, and was discovered byWilliam Herschel on 12 May 1787. The two nuclei of the galaxies are separated by about 13,000light-years.[4] The southwest and northeast nuclei have masses of7×109 M☉ and10×109 M☉, assuming they orbit around a common center of mass.[2] NGC 5256 is located at about 420 million light-years away from the Earth.[2]
NGC 5256 is also known asMarkarian 266 and is one of theMarkarian galaxies, included in the Markarian Survey due to its high amount ofultraviolet emission. However, it is also aluminous infrared galaxy (LIRG); most of its energy is emitted in theinfrared range.[2]
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