101 Must-See Cosmic Objects: NGC 253

The Silver Dollar or Sculptor Galaxy is the brightest deep-sky object in the diminutive constellation Sculptor. NGC 253 is highly inclined at 78° from face-on, and doesn’t have distinct arms across its broad, 27.5′ by 6.8′ disk. Recent imaging shows a poorly developed bar and two concentrated arms amidst a disk rich in dark and emission nebulae.

At 8th magnitude, NGC 253 can be seen in binoculars and is about 7° south of Beta (β) Ceti. Slightly larger optics may allow you to