Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Sculptor (Scl)  ·  Contains:  NGC 253  ·  Sculptor Filament  ·  Sculptor galaxy  ·  Silver Coin
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NGC 253 - Sculptor Galaxy, Miles Zhou
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NGC 253 - Sculptor Galaxy

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NGC 253 - Sculptor Galaxy, Miles Zhou
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NGC 253 - Sculptor Galaxy

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Description

NGC 253, with the common name of Sculptor Galaxy, is the brightest member of the Sculptor Group of galaxies.

Visually, NGC 253 is an impressive sight in larger instruments. Its huge envelope is an elongated 25' x 7', and its disk shows complex dust lanes north of the core (lower side of the image).

NGC 253's true size is estimated to be 70,000 light years, comparable to the diameter of the Milky Way. But NGC 253 has a luminosity considerably less than the Milky Way's. The Sculptor Galaxy is a starburst galaxy, which means that it is currently undergoing a period of intense star formation as shown by the red spots illuminated by H alpha at the lower side in the image, which is the side closer to our galaxy.

Version B added H alpha, which better reveals its spiral structure and star forming areas.

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    NGC 253 - Sculptor Galaxy, Miles Zhou
    Original
  • Final
    NGC 253 - Sculptor Galaxy, Miles Zhou
    B

B

Description: H alpha added

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NGC 253 - Sculptor Galaxy, Miles Zhou