NGC 578 is a barred spiral galaxy of the Hubble type SBc in the constellation Whale south of the celestial equator . It is estimated 72 million light years away from the Milky Way and has a diameter of about 100,000 ly.
In the same area of ​​the sky are the galaxies NGC 554 , NGC 555 , NGC 556 , among others .

The object was discovered by John Herschel on November 11, 1835 .