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The letters NGC with a number.
Also known as: NGC number, NGC 224 style designation
The designation of a deep sky object in the New General Catalogue, numbered in order of right ascension.
Designates a deep sky object in the New General Catalogue.
Contexts: History
Numbers in order of right ascension, so consecutive numbers are neighbours in the sky and a reader can infer position from the number alone.
Contexts: History
Overlaps the Messier catalogue the catalogue already holds, so the brightest deep sky objects carry two numbers from two systems and neither is preferred.
Contexts: History
Three capital letters followed by a number of up to four digits.