NGC 253

Sculptor - Barred Spiral - Magnitude 7.6

NGC 253 - Great Sculptor Galaxy

Because it is too far south to be a Messier, this outstanding galaxy in Sculptor is underrated. Many of the more Northern observers neglect this object because its too low on the Southern horizon, but this is a bright galaxy, easily seen even in light polluted skies. Its uniform surface brightness makes a large part of its disk visible, even with smaller telescopes. Dark skies coupled with southern latitudes turn this object into a showpiece. It is classified as a barred spiral galaxy, easily evident here in this picture. Reminds me of a food processor blade.

Location: Ballauer Observatory in Azle, Texas
Seeing: 6/10 (2.5 FWHM)
Transparency: 4/10
Date and Time: November 18, 2003 @ 11:00PM
Equipment: SBIG ST-7E, Tak FSQ-106 @ f/5, and Celestron CGE mount
Length: Four 15 minute exposures binned 1x1
Processing Information: Dark frames, gradient removal, registration and Sigma Combine in MaxIm 3.0. Levels, Curves, Gaussian Blur and Unsharp Mask in Photoshop 7.

Exposure Notes: First light image with the new Celestron CGE mount.