Another Sculptor but no Michelangeo

[Trevorw]

Target: NGC253 Sculptor Galaxy

Camera: QHY8 OSC camera

Exposure Capture: Maxim DL

Scope: GSO CF RC200

EFR: F6.4 with WO F2 reducer

Mount: EQ6 Pro

Exposure Setting:

Exposures: 8 x 360s and 7 x 600s lights taken between 8:00 and 11:00pm11/10/2010

Seeing: no moon (which is always a bonus)

Guiding: Orion Starshoot Autoguider using PHD with ED80

Focus: Bahitnov mask

Stacking: DSS no darks or flats

Processing: PS CS3

Right Ascension 00 : 47.6 (h:m)

Declination -25 : 17 (deg:m)

Distance 10000.0 (kly)

Visual Brightness 7.1 (mag)

Apparent Dimension 25 x 7 (arc min)

Discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1783.

NGC 253 is the brightest member of the Sculptor group of galaxies, which is grouped around the South galactic pole (therefore, also sometimes named "South Polar Group"). The Sculptor group is perhaps the nearest to our Local Group of galaxies. NGC 253 is also one of the brightest galaxies beyond the Local Group. The RASC Observer's Handbook gives the common name Silver Coin Galaxy for NGC 253; it is also referred to as the Sculptor Galaxy.

NGC 253 was one of the major discoveries of Caroline Herschel, the sister of William Herschel. She discovered this object on September 23, 1783 with "an excellent small Newtonian Sweeper" of 27 inches focal length and a power of 30 (William Herschel's description), and added it to her list as No. 10. William Herschel included it in his catalog as No. V.1.

Other images of mine

www.cosmos-nightsky.com

[Hawklord]

Very nice indeed. Lots of detail.

[southernman]

Lovely image. Plenty of detail.

[MartinB]

You've picked up a shed load of detail Trevor and some nice colour. the contrast and sharpening is a tad harsh to my eye

[Trevorw]

thanks guys, it a hard one to get balance between colours, sharpening and background while retainingg detail with limited data