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Edge-On Spiral Galaxy NGC 253: Behind a Dusty Veil Lies a Cradle of Star Birth

Edge-On Spiral Galaxy NGC 253: Behind a Dusty Veil Lies a Cradle of Star Birth
NGC 253 is a large, almost edge-on spiral galaxy, and is one of the nearest galaxies beyond our local neighborhood of galaxies. This dramatic galaxy shows complex structures such as clumpy gas clouds, darkened dust lanes, and young, luminous central star clusters. These elements are typical of spiral galaxies. Caroline Herschel discovered NGC 253 in 1783 while looking for comets. The galaxy's closeness to Earth makes it an ideal target for amateur astronomers who can see the southern sky and for astronomers interested in learning more about the makeup of these stunning cities of stars.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    00h 47m 33.13s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -25° 17' 17"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Sculptor
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    7.5 million light-years (2.3 million parsecs)
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    The image is 2.7' (roughly 5800 light-years) on the vertical side.

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
    Principal Astronomers: A. Watson (Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), J. Gallagher (U. Wisconsin, Madison), J. Trauger (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and collaborators.
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>WFPC2
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    May 29, 1994, Exposure Time: 1.5 hours
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F336W(U), F555W(V), and F814W (I)
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    NGC 253, Sculptor Galaxy, Silver Coin Galaxy
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Spiral Galaxy
  • Release Date
    December 3, 1998
  • Science Release
    Behind a Dusty Veil Lies a Cradle of Star Birth
    Read the release
  • Credits
    The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI/NASA)

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Edge-On Spiral Galaxy NGC 253: Behind a Dusty Veil Lies a Cradle of Star Birth
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

Blue: F336W(U) Green: F555W(V) Red: F814W (I)

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 14, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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