Galaxy Cluster in Ursa Minor
Just 11 degrees from the north celestial pole, Abell 2256 is visible from the mid-northern hemisphere all year long. Its two brightest galaxies, near the center of this image, are about magnitude 14, putting them within visual range of medium to largte amateur scopes. With a large scope, some of the 15th magnitude galaxies can be seen with careful observation.
The NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) lists the cluster's redshift as .0582, suggesting a distance of about 790 million light years.
| Magnitude of 10th brightest galaxy | 15.3 |
| Distance (light yrs) | 790 million |
| Right Ascension | 17:03.7 |
| Declination | +78 43 |
| Field of View | 40' x 27' |
Image details: 190 exposures of 120 seconds each (6.3 hours total), taken with a ZWO ASI2600MC Pro imager and a 14" Meade LX850 telescope at f/5.6.
November 2025