NGC 855's relative velocity to the cosmic microwave background is 343 ± 18 km/s (343 ± 18) km/s, corresponding to a Hubble distance of 5.06 ± 0.44 Mpc (~16.5 million ly).[1] There is some uncertainty about its precise distance since two surface brightness fluctuation measurements give a distance of 9.280 ± 0.636 Mpc (~30.3 million ly), a range outside the Hubble distance determined by the galaxy's redshift survey.[5]
Star formation
Using infrared data collected from two regions in the center of the galaxy by the Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers were able to suggest NGC 855 to be a star-forming galaxy.[2] Its HI distribution (Neutral atomic hydrogen emission lines) suggests the star-forming activity might have been triggered by a minor merger.[2]