The sky around NGC 531, 3° across, north up NGC 536 NGC 542 NGC 529 NGC 561 NGC 523 IC 1683 NGC 512 IC 1675 NGC 587 NGC 464 IC 1713 low-power eyepiece, 1° NE 1°
The sky around NGC 531 at true scale, north up and east left, with stars to magnitude 8 and the NGC and IC objects in the field. The circles show the field of a low-power eyepiece and of 10×50 binoculars.

NGC 531

NGC 531

Lenticular galaxy in Andromeda

Lenticular galaxy in Andromeda.

ANDROMEDA

The box shows where NGC 531 sits in Andromeda.

Constellation
AndromedaAnd
Magnitude
14.0visual
Size
1.8′ × 28″apparent
Distance
-light-years
Best month
Novemberat 9 pm
Best with
Large telescope

NGC 531 is a lenticular galaxy in Andromeda

NGC 531 is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Andromeda. It shines at magnitude 14.0 and spans 1.8′ × 28″. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, and it is highest in the evening sky in November.

Galaxy: a system of billions of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity, far outside the Milky Way. Spiral galaxies have a disk with arms; elliptical galaxies are smooth, round or oval swarms of older stars.

Finding NGC 531 from Mirach

Mirach NGC 531 ANDROMEDA

NGC 531 lies 3.5° east of Mirach, the magnitude 2.1 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.

NGC 531 is highest in the evening in November

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 60°N JAN at 60°N: 50° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 35° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 6° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 12° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 38° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 53° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 64° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 62° high at 9 pm 50°N JAN at 50°N: 52° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 19° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 37° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 55° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 72° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 70° high at 9 pm 40°N JAN at 40°N: 52° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 11° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -5° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -4° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 34° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 56° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 79° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 75° high at 9 pm 30°N JAN at 30°N: 50° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 5° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -24° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -12° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 7° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 30° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 54° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 79° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 75° high at 9 pm 20°N JAN at 20°N: 45° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -1° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -34° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -33° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -20° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 25° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 49° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 72° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 69° high at 9 pm 10°N JAN at 10°N: 40° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 15° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -7° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -43° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -42° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -27° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -5° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 20° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 44° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 63° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 61° high at 9 pm 0° JAN at 0°: 33° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 9° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -13° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -37° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -53° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -52° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -35° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -11° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 14° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 37° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 53° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 52° high at 9 pm 10°S JAN at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -19° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -43° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -62° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -61° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -41° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -16° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 8° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 44° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm 20°S JAN at 20°S: 19° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -24° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -49° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -71° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -69° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -47° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 2° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 34° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 33° high at 9 pm 30°S JAN at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -8° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -29° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -53° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -77° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -75° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -51° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -4° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 14° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 24° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 23° high at 9 pm 40°S JAN at 40°S: 3° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -56° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -78° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -76° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -53° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -31° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 5° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 14° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 14° high at 9 pm below horizon low 20-40° 40-60° overhead-ish

The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 55°S, and never sets north of 55°N.

The distance to NGC 531 is not well measured

No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.

Objects within 6° of NGC 531

162 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:

NGC 531 catalog data

FieldValue
ConstellationAndromeda
DesignationsNGC 531, 2MASX J01261884+3445147, MCG +06-04-020, PGC 005340, UGC 01012
Typelenticular galaxy (S0-a)
Right ascension (J2000)01h 26.3m
Declination (J2000)+34° 45′
Magnitude14.0
Surface brightness24.5 mag/arcmin²
Apparent size1.8′ × 28″
Position angle33°
Radial velocity4,660 km/s, redshift 0.01566
Best withLarge telescope
Best monthNovember
Catalog pageNGC 501 to 1000