NGC 253 is a large, almost edge-on spiral galaxy, and is one of the nearest galaxies beyond our local neighborhood of galaxies. This dramatic galaxy shows complex structures such as clumpy gas clouds, darkened dust lanes, and young, luminous central star clusters. These elements are typical of spiral galaxies. Caroline Herschel discovered NGC 253 in 1783 while looking for comets. The galaxy's closeness to Earth makes it an ideal target for amateur astronomers who can see the southern sky and for astronomers interested in learning more about the makeup of these stunning cities of stars.
Credits
The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI/NASA)| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | NGC 253, Sculptor Galaxy, Silver Coin Galaxy |
| Object Description | Spiral Galaxy |
| R.A. Position | 00h 47m 33.13s |
| Dec. Position | -25° 17' 17" |
| Constellation | Sculptor |
| Distance | 7.5 million light-years (2.3 million parsecs) |
| Dimensions | The image is 2.7' (roughly 5800 light-years) on the vertical side. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | Principal Astronomers: A. Watson (Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), J. Gallagher (U. Wisconsin, Madison), J. Trauger (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and collaborators. |
| Instrument | HST>WFPC2 |
| Exposure Dates | May 29, 1994, Exposure Time: 1.5 hours |
| Filters | F336W(U), F555W(V), and F814W (I) |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | Blue: F336W(U) Green: F555W(V) Red: F814W (I) |
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object. |
| Object Description | The type of astronomical object. |
| R.A. Position | Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Dec. Position | Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Constellation | One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears. |
| Distance | The physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs. |
| Dimensions | The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description |
|
| Instrument | The science instrument used to produce the data. |
| Exposure Dates | The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time. |
| Filters | The camera filters that were used in the science observations. |
| About The Image | |
| Image Credit | The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the release content became public. |
| Color Info | A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented. |
| Orientation | The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere. |
