The Sculptor Galaxy, NGC 253

This image of spiral galaxy NGC253 was taken with the National Science Foundation’s Blanco 4-meter telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. NGC253 is the brightest member of the Sculptor group of galaxies, which is grouped around the south galactic pole (and therefore is sometimes named “South Polar Group”). The Sculptor group may be the next closest group of galaxies beyond our Local Group, located about 8 million light-years from Earth. NGC253 is considered a starburst galaxy, where stars form and explode at an unusually high rate. NGC253 is one of the brightest galaxies beyond the Local Group; it is also referred to as the Sculptor Galaxy NGC253 was also one of the major discoveries of Caroline Herschel, the sister of William Herschel, who discovered the object on September 23, 1783.

Credit:
T.A. Rector/University of Alaska Anchorage, T. Abbott and NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/

About the Image

Id:noao-ngc253
Type:Observation
Release date:Sept. 28, 2006, 12:44 p.m.
Related announcements:noaoann06028
Size:2800 x 2016 px

About the Object

Name:NGC 253, Sculptor Galaxy
Constellation:Sculptor
Category:Galaxies

Image Formats

Large JPEGLarge JPEG
1.0 MB
Screensize JPEGScreensize JPEG
145.1 KB

Zoomable


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1024x7681024x768
166.2 KB
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262.1 KB
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3.7 MB

Coordinates

ObjectValue
Position (RA):0 47 25.91
Position (Dec):-25° 23' 11.34"
Field of view:25.37 x 18.26 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 140.0° right of vertical


Colors & filters

BandWave-lengthTele-scope
Optical
B
438 nmVíctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope
Mosaic II
Optical
V
538 nmVíctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope
Mosaic II
Optical
I
820 nmVíctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope
Mosaic II
Optical
Ha
657 nmVíctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope
Mosaic II