[b] It is angularly found about midway between Albireo (Beta (β) Cygni) and Sulafat (Gamma (γ) Lyrae).

In a good night sky it is tricky to find with large (50–80 mm) binoculars, appearing as a slightly fuzzy star.

[11] This cluster has an estimated age of 13.70 billion years and is following a retrograde orbit through the Milky Way.

The properties of this cluster suggest that it may have been acquired during the merger of a dwarf galaxy, of which Omega Centauri forms the surviving nucleus.

The relative velocity of the cluster is about 177 km s−1, which is sufficient to heat the medium in its wake to a temperature of 940,000 K.[13] M56 is part of the Gaia Sausage, the hypothesised remains of a merged dwarf galaxy.