Object of the Season (Autumn 2017)

NGC 253 in Sculptor

Though located in Sculptor at declination –25°, it is indeed an object for European observers – Caroline Herschel discovered the bright spiral galaxy in 1783, observing from near Windsor with a 4.2-inch reflector! Her brother independently found the object shortly afterwards and catalogued it as ‘large nebula’ V 1. NGC 253 is also known as the ‘Silver Dollar Galaxy’ or ‘Sculptor Galaxy’.

Galaxy NGC 253 Josef Pöpsel, Stefan Binnewies (Capella Observatory, Namibia 2004)
This image of NGC 253 was provided by Josef Pöpsel, Stefan Binnewies (Capella Observatory, Namibia 2004).
Name
The Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253)
Position (2000)
00 47 33.1 –25 17 15 (Scl)
Type
Barred spiral galaxy (SBc)
Magnitude
7.2
Size
29.0' x 6.8' (100,000 ly)
Distance
10.2 Mly
Other Designations
V 1, h 61, h 2345, GC 138, ESO 474-29, MCG -4-3-9, UGCA 13

Results of the observations of NGC 253 will be published in DSO 179.

Wolfgang Steinicke - Nebulae and Clusters Section Director