Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Sculptor (Scl)  ·  Contains:  NGC 253  ·  Sculptor Filament  ·  Sculptor galaxy  ·  Silver Coin
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NGC253, Brian Boyle
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NGC253

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
NGC253, Brian Boyle
Powered byPixInsight

NGC253

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Description

As a break from imaging the Helix nebula, I took the advantage of a clear mostly moonless night to image NGC253.  It is one of the most beautiful galaxies in the southern sky, made more tantalising by its almost edge on appearance with a rich dust lane structure in the its spiral arms.  This was the first galaxy I saw when, as a PhD student, I started surveying the photographic plates of the UK Schmidt sky survey for quasars.  Naturally the part of the sky I looked at first was the South Galactic Pole field.

More than 40 years ago on,  I now find myself trying [and probably failing] to emulate this image.   I don't quite have the seeing, and certainly don't have the aperture used for the "original" , but also I don't have to use a photographic plate either and have digital processing techniques. 

So here is my image, and I hope you like it.

For me, it brings back memories of starting out on a wonderful journey all those yerrs ago.

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