Galaxy · Barred spiral
Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253)
Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253) is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Sculptor, 11.4 million light-years away. A "starburst" galaxy with intense star formation.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sculptor |
| Distance | 11.4 million light-years (3.50 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 88,100 light-years · 1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.00 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 6.72 |
| Luminosity | 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 47m 33.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −25° 17′ 17″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
Too faint for the naked eye (magnitude 6.72); binoculars will find it. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 65° N. South of latitude 65° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in September, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 11 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 202.5 billion years.