M-56 (NGC-6779) is a globular star cluster located in the SE portion of the constellation of Lyra, midway between the star Gamma Lyrae (Sulafat) and Albireo (Beta Cygnii). It lies 32,000 light years from Earth and is 84 light years in diameter. It is estimated to be 13.7 billion years old, and its properties suggest that it may have been captured by our Milky Way galaxy during a merger with a dwarf galaxy, of which Omega Centauri is the surviving nucleus. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1779, and entered into his catalog as number 56. He described it as "a nebula without stars".
This image, acquired on 13, 2026, is a 2 hour 4 minute integration of 1 minute exposures through the Astro-Tech AT-92 92mm f/5.5 APO Refractor using the ZWO 2600MC Pro camera, cooled to -0 degrees and binned 1 X 1. Captured in NINA, Processed in PixInsight, post processed in PhotoShop 2026.