NGC 253 The Sculptor Galaxy

Also known as the Silver Coin Galaxy, NGC 253 is a galaxy located in the constellation Sculptor, approximately 11 million light-years away from Earth. It is one of the brightest galaxies in the southern night sky and one of the closest starburst galaxies to the Milky Way. NGC 253 is classified as a barred spiral galaxy, featuring a prominent central bar structure and intense star formation activity, especially in its core region—hence its classification as a starburst galaxy.

This galaxy was discovered in 1783 by British astronomer Caroline Herschel. Due to its high brightness and large apparent size, it is a popular target for amateur astronomers and astrophotographers. In deep-sky images, NGC 253 reveals rich dust lanes, bright stellar regions, and young blue star clusters, making it visually striking. It is also the principal member of the Sculptor Group, one of the nearest galaxy groups to our own.

Planewave CDK 17"
SBIG STXL 11002 with AOX
Paramount ME
Astrodon 50mm LRGB
L15 1200s,R16,G17,B17 900s
Ha12 BIN2, 1800s
Total integration time: 23.5hrs
Location: El Sauce, Chile
Software: PixInsight, Photoshop