The Sculptor Galaxy, NGC 253

This image of spiral galaxy NGC253 was taken with the National Science Foundation’s Blanco 4-meter telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. NGC253 is the brightest member of the Sculptor group of galaxies, which is grouped around the south galactic pole (and therefore is sometimes named “South Polar Group”). The Sculptor group may be the next closest group of galaxies beyond our Local Group, located about 8 million light-years from Earth. NGC253 is considered a starburst galaxy, where stars form and explode at an unusually high rate. NGC253 is one of the brightest galaxies beyond the Local Group; it is also referred to as the Sculptor Galaxy NGC253 was also one of the major discoveries of Caroline Herschel, the sister of William Herschel, who discovered the object on September 23, 1783.