Sculptor Galaxy
Also known as NGC 253
Sculptor Galaxy is a galaxy in the constellation Sculptor, about 12.06 million light-years from Earth.
Starburst spiral, the Silver Coin
Facts
| Type | Galaxy (shape SAB(s)c) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sculptor |
| Position (J2000) | 0h 47m 33s, −25° 17′ |
| Distance | 12.06 million light-years (its light set off about 12.06 million years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 11.11 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 28.8′ × 5.9′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | No filter (It shines in starlight of every colour, so a nebula filter would only dim it; a dark sky helps more.) |
| Studied in | 3,636 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Sculptor Galaxy is highest in the sky at midnight in October. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 45° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 15°. To see it you need a small telescope.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Sculptor
Everything in Sculptor · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits