NGC 6956 isn't just pretty to look at, it is an important measure of the universe's expansion.
, which are stars whose luminosity cycles between bright and dim at regular intervals. This periods of brightening and dimming are directly related to a star's actual brightness, we are able to calculate these variations in apparent brightness to the stars actual brightness, which allows us to determine their distance from us.
This is a crucial way for astronomers to determine the distance of extragalactic objects like NGC 6956, since there are few other ways to do so that we currently know of. There are other interesting features of NGC 6956, like a visible Type Ia, which is the product of a white dwarf star exploding as a result of accreting matter from a companion star.
This type of supernova is another key method for determining the distance of far-away galaxies, since astronomers are able to measure how quickly a supernova dims to help measure its distance from Earth.