NGC 253 (The Golden Galleon Galaxy)

NGC 253, ESO 474-29, Magnitude 7.20, Size 26.4' x 6.0', Constellation: Sculptor

Image Details:

• Scope: 1995 Celestron Ultima 8 OTA.
• Mount: Celestron AS-GT (goto CG5).
• Camera: Meade DSI Color.
• Configuration: f/3.3 focal reducer, both spacers.
• Effective Focal Length: 609mm, f/3.
• Exposure:  30 images @30 seconds.
• Filter: Meade IR blocking filter.
• Acquisition: Meade Envisage. Quality = 35%.
• Guiding: None.
• Location: Deep South Regional Star Gaze, Camp Ruth Lee, near Clinton, Louisiana.
• Date: 30 October 2005.
• Post Processing: Meade IP.
• Photoshop: Levels, .jpg conversion.

Comments: This big, dusty spiral is one of the most impressive objects in the sky for amateur scopes. If you're far enough south in latitude to get this galaxy out of the horizon mess, NGC 253 is arguably more impressive than Andromeda, M31. While its patches of dust give it an appearance in the eyepiece similar to that of M82, this appears to be a "normal," non disturbed Sc (or possibly Sbc...it's near edge on inclination makes it difficult to be exact concerning its Hubble type) spiral. I've had impressive views of this visually with the C8 from dark locations here in the Southeast U.S.

NGC 253 is the brightest member of a group of galaxies close to the South Galactic Pole.

This big, gorgeous galaxy was not a huge challenge with the DSI. It's large, but the 3.3 reducer used with both spacers and screwed directly onto the DSI faceplate gave me enough field to squeeze it in (barely). Very little processing was done...basically I just adjusted the levels in Photoshop.

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