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Coordinates: Sky map 00h 47m 33s, −25° 17′ 18″
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===Amateur observation===
===Amateur observation===


As one of the brightest galaxies in the sky, the Sculptor Galaxy can be seen through [[binoculars]] and is near the star [[Beta Ceti]]. It is considered one of the most easily viewed galaxies in the sky after the [[Andromeda Galaxy]].<ref name="Burnhams"/><ref name="NSOG">{{cite book|title=The Night Sky Observer's Guide|last=Kepple|first=George Robert|last2=Sanner|first2=Glen W.|publisher=Willmann-Bell, Inc.|year=1998|isbn=978-0-943396-60-6|volume=2|pages=365, 371}}</ref>
As one of the brightest galaxies in the sky, the Sculptor Galaxy can be seen through [[binoculars]] and is near the star [[Beta Ceti]]. It is considered one of the most easily viewed galaxies in the sky after the [[Andromeda Galaxy]].<ref name="Burnhams"/><ref name="NSOG">{{cite book|title=The Night Sky Observer's Guide|last1=Kepple|first1=George Robert|last2=Sanner|first2=Glen W.|publisher=Willmann-Bell, Inc.|year=1998|isbn=978-0-943396-60-6|volume=2|pages=365, 371}}</ref>


The Sculptor Galaxy is a good target for observation with a telescope with a 300&nbsp;mm diameter or larger.<ref name="NSOG" /> In such telescopes, it appears as a galaxy with a long, oval bulge and a mottled [[galactic disc]].<ref name="NSOG" /> Although the bulge appears only slightly brighter than the rest of the galaxy, it is fairly extended compared to the disk.<ref name="NSOG" /> In 400&nbsp;mm scopes and larger, a dark dust lane northwest of the [[Active galactic nucleus|nucleus]] is visible, and over a dozen faint stars can be seen superimposed on the bulge.<ref name="NSOG" />
The Sculptor Galaxy is a good target for observation with a telescope with a 300&nbsp;mm diameter or larger.<ref name="NSOG" /> In such telescopes, it appears as a galaxy with a long, oval bulge and a mottled [[galactic disc]].<ref name="NSOG" /> Although the bulge appears only slightly brighter than the rest of the galaxy, it is fairly extended compared to the disk.<ref name="NSOG" /> In 400&nbsp;mm scopes and larger, a dark dust lane northwest of the [[Active galactic nucleus|nucleus]] is visible, and over a dozen faint stars can be seen superimposed on the bulge.<ref name="NSOG" />
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[[Image:Three-dimensional view of ALMA observations of the outflows from NGC 253.jpg|thumb|Three-dimensional view of [[Atacama Large Millimeter Array|ALMA]] observations of the outflows.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1334/|title=Starburst to Star Bust|date=24 July 2013|access-date=15 August 2013|publisher=[[European Southern Observatory]]}}</ref>]]
[[Image:Three-dimensional view of ALMA observations of the outflows from NGC 253.jpg|thumb|Three-dimensional view of [[Atacama Large Millimeter Array|ALMA]] observations of the outflows.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1334/|title=Starburst to Star Bust|date=24 July 2013|access-date=15 August 2013|publisher=[[European Southern Observatory]]}}</ref>]]
[[Image:NGC 253.jpg|thumb|Detail of NGC 253 by [[Hubble Space Telescope]]. (Credit: HST/[[NASA]]/[[ESA]]).]]
[[Image:NGC 253.jpg|thumb|Detail of NGC 253 by [[Hubble Space Telescope]]. (Credit: HST/[[NASA]]/[[ESA]]).]]
The Sculptor Galaxy is located at the center of the [[Sculptor Group]], one of the nearest [[galaxy group|groups of galaxies]] to the [[Milky Way]].<ref name="karachentsev2005">{{cite journal|last=Karachentsev|first=I. D.|date=2005|title=The Local Group and Other Neighboring Galaxy Groups|journal=[[The Astronomical Journal]]|volume=129|issue=1|pages=178–188|arxiv=astro-ph/0410065|bibcode=2005AJ....129..178K|doi=10.1086/426368}}</ref> The Sculptor Galaxy (the brightest galaxy in the group and one of the [[Intrinsic brightness|intrinsically brightest]] galaxies in the vicinity of ours, only surpassed by the Andromeda Galaxy and the [[Sombrero Galaxy]]<ref name="Karachentsev2004">{{cite journal|last=Karachentsev|first=Igor D.|last2=Karachentseva|first2=Valentina E.|last3=Huchtmeier|first3=Walter K.|last4=Makarov|first4=Dmitry I.|date=2003|title=A Catalog of Neighboring Galaxies|journal=[[The Astronomical Journal]]|volume=127|issue=4|pages=2031–2068|bibcode=2004AJ....127.2031K|doi=10.1086/382905|doi-access=free}}</ref>) and the companion galaxies [[NGC 247]], [[PGC 2881]], [[PGC 2933]], [[Sculptor-dE1]], and [[UGCA 15]] form a gravitationally-bound core near the center of the group. Most other galaxies associated with the Sculptor Group are only weakly gravitationally bound to this core.<ref name="karachentsev2005" /><ref name="karachentsevetal2003">{{cite journal|last=Karachentsev|first=I. D.|last2=Grebel|first2=E. K.|last3=Sharina|first3=M. E.|last4=Dolphin|first4=A. E.|author5=D. Geisler|author6=P. Guhathakrta|author7=P. W. Hodge|author8=V. E. Karachentseva|author9=A. Sarajedini|display-authors=4|date=2003|title=Distances to nearby galaxies in Sculptor|journal=[[Astronomy and Astrophysics]]|volume=404|issue=1|pages=93–111|arxiv=astro-ph/0302045|bibcode=2003A&A...404...93K|doi=10.1051/0004-6361:20030170|author10=P. Seitzer}}</ref>
The Sculptor Galaxy is located at the center of the [[Sculptor Group]], one of the nearest [[galaxy group|groups of galaxies]] to the [[Milky Way]].<ref name="karachentsev2005">{{cite journal|last=Karachentsev|first=I. D.|date=2005|title=The Local Group and Other Neighboring Galaxy Groups|journal=[[The Astronomical Journal]]|volume=129|issue=1|pages=178–188|arxiv=astro-ph/0410065|bibcode=2005AJ....129..178K|doi=10.1086/426368}}</ref> The Sculptor Galaxy (the brightest galaxy in the group and one of the [[Intrinsic brightness|intrinsically brightest]] galaxies in the vicinity of ours, only surpassed by the Andromeda Galaxy and the [[Sombrero Galaxy]]<ref name="Karachentsev2004">{{cite journal|last1=Karachentsev|first1=Igor D.|last2=Karachentseva|first2=Valentina E.|last3=Huchtmeier|first3=Walter K.|last4=Makarov|first4=Dmitry I.|date=2003|title=A Catalog of Neighboring Galaxies|journal=[[The Astronomical Journal]]|volume=127|issue=4|pages=2031–2068|bibcode=2004AJ....127.2031K|doi=10.1086/382905|doi-access=free}}</ref>) and the companion galaxies [[NGC 247]], [[PGC 2881]], [[PGC 2933]], [[Sculptor-dE1]], and [[UGCA 15]] form a gravitationally-bound core near the center of the group. Most other galaxies associated with the Sculptor Group are only weakly gravitationally bound to this core.<ref name="karachentsev2005" /><ref name="karachentsevetal2003">{{cite journal|last1=Karachentsev|first1=I. D.|last2=Grebel|first2=E. K.|last3=Sharina|first3=M. E.|last4=Dolphin|first4=A. E.|author5=D. Geisler|author6=P. Guhathakrta|author7=P. W. Hodge|author8=V. E. Karachentseva|author9=A. Sarajedini|display-authors=4|date=2003|title=Distances to nearby galaxies in Sculptor|journal=[[Astronomy and Astrophysics]]|volume=404|issue=1|pages=93–111|arxiv=astro-ph/0302045|bibcode=2003A&A...404...93K|doi=10.1051/0004-6361:20030170|author10=P. Seitzer|s2cid=54977869}}</ref>


===Starburst===
===Starburst===
NGC 253's starburst has created several [[super star cluster]]s on NGC 253's center (discovered with the aid of the Hubble Space Telescope): one with a mass of 1.5*10<sup>6</sup> [[solar mass]]es, and [[absolute magnitude]] of at least -15, and two others with 5*10<sup>4</sup> solar masses and absolute magnitudes around -11;<ref name="Watson1996">{{cite journal|last=Watson|first=A. M.|last2=Gallagher|first2=J. S., III|last3=Holtzman|first3=J. A.|last4=Hester|first4=J. J.|author5=Mould, J. R.|author6=Ballester, G. E.|author7=Burrows, C. J.|author8=Casertano, S.|author9=Clarke, J. T.|display-authors=4|date=1996|title=The Discovery of Young, Luminous, Compact Stellar Clusters in the Starburst Galaxy NGC 253|url=https://authors.library.caltech.edu/53645/1/1996AJ____112__534W.pdf|journal=[[The Astronomical Journal]]|volume=112|issue=2|pages=534|bibcode=1996AJ....112..534W|doi=10.1086/118032|author10=Crisp, D.|author11=Evans, R.|author12=Griffiths, R. E.|author13=Hoessel, J. G.|author14=Scowen, P. A.|author15=Stapelfeldt, K. R.|author16=Trauger, J. T.|author17=Westphal, J. A.}}</ref> later studies have discovered an even more massive cluster heavily obscured by NGC 253's [[Cosmic dust|interstellar dust]] with a mass of 1.4*10<sup>7</sup> solar masses, an age of around 5.7*10<sup>6</sup> years, and rich in [[Wolf–Rayet star|Wolf-Rayet stars]].<ref name="Kornei2009">{{cite journal|last=Kornei|first=Katherine A.|last2=McCrady|first2=Nate|date=2009|title=A Young Super Star Cluster in the Nuclear Region of NGC 253|journal=[[The Astrophysical Journal]]|volume=697|issue=2|pages=1180–1186|arxiv=0902.4027|bibcode=2009ApJ...697.1180K|doi=10.1088/0004-637X/697/2/1180}}</ref>
NGC 253's starburst has created several [[super star cluster]]s on NGC 253's center (discovered with the aid of the Hubble Space Telescope): one with a mass of 1.5*10<sup>6</sup> [[solar mass]]es, and [[absolute magnitude]] of at least -15, and two others with 5*10<sup>4</sup> solar masses and absolute magnitudes around -11;<ref name="Watson1996">{{cite journal|last1=Watson|first1=A. M.|last2=Gallagher|first2=J. S., III|last3=Holtzman|first3=J. A.|last4=Hester|first4=J. J.|author5=Mould, J. R.|author6=Ballester, G. E.|author7=Burrows, C. J.|author8=Casertano, S.|author9=Clarke, J. T.|display-authors=4|date=1996|title=The Discovery of Young, Luminous, Compact Stellar Clusters in the Starburst Galaxy NGC 253|url=https://authors.library.caltech.edu/53645/1/1996AJ____112__534W.pdf|journal=[[The Astronomical Journal]]|volume=112|issue=2|pages=534|bibcode=1996AJ....112..534W|doi=10.1086/118032|author10=Crisp, D.|author11=Evans, R.|author12=Griffiths, R. E.|author13=Hoessel, J. G.|author14=Scowen, P. A.|author15=Stapelfeldt, K. R.|author16=Trauger, J. T.|author17=Westphal, J. A.}}</ref> later studies have discovered an even more massive cluster heavily obscured by NGC 253's [[Cosmic dust|interstellar dust]] with a mass of 1.4*10<sup>7</sup> solar masses, an age of around 5.7*10<sup>6</sup> years, and rich in [[Wolf–Rayet star|Wolf-Rayet stars]].<ref name="Kornei2009">{{cite journal|last1=Kornei|first1=Katherine A.|last2=McCrady|first2=Nate|date=2009|title=A Young Super Star Cluster in the Nuclear Region of NGC 253|journal=[[The Astrophysical Journal]]|volume=697|issue=2|pages=1180–1186|arxiv=0902.4027|bibcode=2009ApJ...697.1180K|doi=10.1088/0004-637X/697/2/1180|s2cid=18960325}}</ref>


[[Star formation]] is also high in the northeast of NGC 253's disk, where a number of [[red supergiant star]]s can be found, and in its [[Galactic halo|halo]] there are young stars as well as some amounts of [[neutral hydrogen]]. This, along with other peculiarities found in NGC 253, suggest that a gas-rich [[dwarf galaxy]] collided with it 200 million years ago, disturbing its disk and starting the present starburst.<ref name="Davidge2010">{{cite journal|last=Davidge|first=T. J.|date=2010|title=Shaken, Not Stirred: The Disrupted Disk of the Starburst Galaxy NGC 253|journal=[[The Astrophysical Journal]]|volume=725|issue=1|pages=1342–1365|arxiv=1011.3006|bibcode=2010ApJ...725.1342D|doi=10.1088/0004-637X/725/1/1342}}</ref>
[[Star formation]] is also high in the northeast of NGC 253's disk, where a number of [[red supergiant star]]s can be found, and in its [[Galactic halo|halo]] there are young stars as well as some amounts of [[neutral hydrogen]]. This, along with other peculiarities found in NGC 253, suggest that a gas-rich [[dwarf galaxy]] collided with it 200 million years ago, disturbing its disk and starting the present starburst.<ref name="Davidge2010">{{cite journal|last=Davidge|first=T. J.|date=2010|title=Shaken, Not Stirred: The Disrupted Disk of the Starburst Galaxy NGC 253|journal=[[The Astrophysical Journal]]|volume=725|issue=1|pages=1342–1365|arxiv=1011.3006|bibcode=2010ApJ...725.1342D|doi=10.1088/0004-637X/725/1/1342|s2cid=118649411}}</ref>


As happens in other galaxies suffering strong star formation such as [[Messier 82]], [[NGC 4631]], or [[NGC 4666]], the [[stellar wind]]s of the massive stars produced in the starburst as well as their deaths as [[supernova]]e have blown out material to NGC 253's halo in the form of a [[galactic superwind|superwind]] that seems to be inhibiting star formation in the galaxy.<ref name="Bolatto2013">{{cite journal|last=Bolatto|first=Alberto D.|last2=Warren|first2=Steven R.|last3=Leroy|first3=Adam K.|last4=Walter|first4=Fabian|author5=Veilleux, Sylvain|author6=Ostriker, Eve C.|author7=Ott, Jürgen|author8=Zwaan, Martin|author9=Fisher, David B.|display-authors=4|date=2013|title=Suppression of star formation in the galaxy NGC 253 by a starburst-driven molecular wind|journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]|volume=499|issue=7459|pages=450–453|arxiv=1307.6259|bibcode=2013Natur.499..450B|doi=10.1038/nature12351|pmid=23887428|author10=Weiss, Axel|author11=Rosolowsky, Erik|author12=Hodge, Jacqueline}}</ref>
As happens in other galaxies suffering strong star formation such as [[Messier 82]], [[NGC 4631]], or [[NGC 4666]], the [[stellar wind]]s of the massive stars produced in the starburst as well as their deaths as [[supernova]]e have blown out material to NGC 253's halo in the form of a [[galactic superwind|superwind]] that seems to be inhibiting star formation in the galaxy.<ref name="Bolatto2013">{{cite journal|last1=Bolatto|first1=Alberto D.|last2=Warren|first2=Steven R.|last3=Leroy|first3=Adam K.|last4=Walter|first4=Fabian|author5=Veilleux, Sylvain|author6=Ostriker, Eve C.|author7=Ott, Jürgen|author8=Zwaan, Martin|author9=Fisher, David B.|display-authors=4|date=2013|title=Suppression of star formation in the galaxy NGC 253 by a starburst-driven molecular wind|journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]|volume=499|issue=7459|pages=450–453|arxiv=1307.6259|bibcode=2013Natur.499..450B|doi=10.1038/nature12351|pmid=23887428|author10=Weiss, Axel|author11=Rosolowsky, Erik|author12=Hodge, Jacqueline|s2cid=4366091}}</ref>


Although supernovae are generally associated with starburst galaxies, only one supernova has been detected within the Sculptor Galaxy.<ref name="ned">{{cite web
Although supernovae are generally associated with starburst galaxies, only one supernova has been detected within the Sculptor Galaxy.<ref name="ned">{{cite web
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| work=Results for NGC 253
| work=Results for NGC 253
| url=http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/nph-objsearch?objname=NGC+253&img_stamp=yes&extend=no
| url=http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/nph-objsearch?objname=NGC+253&img_stamp=yes&extend=no
| access-date=2006-11-25}}</ref> The supernova, named [[SN 1940E]], is located approximately 54″ southwest of the galaxy's nucleus. It was discovered in November 1940.<ref name="barbonetal1984">{{cite journal|last=Barbon|first=R.|last2=Cappellaro|first2=E.|last3=Ciatti|first3=F.|last4=Turatto|first4=M.|last5=Kowal|first5=C. T.|date=1984|title=A revised supernova catalogue|journal=[[Astronomy & Astrophysics Supplement Series]]|volume=58|pages=735–750|bibcode=1984A&AS...58..735B}}</ref>
| access-date=2006-11-25}}</ref> The supernova, named [[SN 1940E]], is located approximately 54″ southwest of the galaxy's nucleus. It was discovered in November 1940.<ref name="barbonetal1984">{{cite journal|last1=Barbon|first1=R.|last2=Cappellaro|first2=E.|last3=Ciatti|first3=F.|last4=Turatto|first4=M.|last5=Kowal|first5=C. T.|date=1984|title=A revised supernova catalogue|journal=[[Astronomy & Astrophysics Supplement Series]]|volume=58|pages=735–750|bibcode=1984A&AS...58..735B}}</ref>


===Central black hole===
===Central black hole===
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Using the [[planetary nebula luminosity function]] method, an estimate of 10.89 {{±|0.85|1.24}} million light years (or Mly; 3.34 {{±|0.26|0.38}} [[parsec|Megaparsec]]s, or Mpc) was achieved in 2006.<ref name="Rekolaetal2005">
Using the [[planetary nebula luminosity function]] method, an estimate of 10.89 {{±|0.85|1.24}} million light years (or Mly; 3.34 {{±|0.26|0.38}} [[parsec|Megaparsec]]s, or Mpc) was achieved in 2006.<ref name="Rekolaetal2005">
{{cite journal|last=Rekola|first=R.|last2=Richer|first2=M. G.|last3=McCall|first3=Marshall L.|last4=Valtonen|first4=M. J.|last5=Kotilainen|first5=J. K.|last6=Flynn|first6=Chris|date=2005|title=Distance to NGC 253 based on the planetary nebula luminosity function|journal=[[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]]|volume=361|issue=1|pages=330–336|bibcode=2005MNRAS.361..330R|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09166.x|doi-access=free}}</ref>
{{cite journal|last1=Rekola|first1=R.|last2=Richer|first2=M. G.|last3=McCall|first3=Marshall L.|last4=Valtonen|first4=M. J.|last5=Kotilainen|first5=J. K.|last6=Flynn|first6=Chris|date=2005|title=Distance to NGC 253 based on the planetary nebula luminosity function|journal=[[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]]|volume=361|issue=1|pages=330–336|bibcode=2005MNRAS.361..330R|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09166.x|doi-access=free}}</ref>


The Sculptor Galaxy is close enough that the [[tip of the red-giant branch]] (TRGB) method may also be used to estimate its distance. The estimated distance to Sculptor using this technique in 2004 yielded 12.8 ± 1.2 Mly (3.94 ± 0.37 Mpc).<ref name="karachentsevetal2004">{{cite journal|last=Karachentsev|first=Igor D.|last2=Karachentseva|first2=Valentina E.|last3=Hutchmeier|first3=Walter K.|last4=Makarov|first4=Dmitry I.|date=2004|title=A Catalog of Neighboring Galaxies|journal=[[The Astronomical Journal]]|volume=127|issue=4|pages=2031–2068|bibcode=2004AJ....127.2031K|doi=10.1086/382905|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Karachentsevetal2006">{{cite journal|author=Karachentsev, I. D.|author2=Kashibadze, O. G.|date=2006|title=Masses of the local group and of the M81 group estimated from distortions in the local velocity field|journal=[[Astrophysics (journal)|Astrophysics]]|volume=49|issue=1|pages=3–18|bibcode=2006Ap.....49....3K|doi=10.1007/s10511-006-0002-6}}</ref>
The Sculptor Galaxy is close enough that the [[tip of the red-giant branch]] (TRGB) method may also be used to estimate its distance. The estimated distance to Sculptor using this technique in 2004 yielded 12.8 ± 1.2 Mly (3.94 ± 0.37 Mpc).<ref name="karachentsevetal2004">{{cite journal|last1=Karachentsev|first1=Igor D.|last2=Karachentseva|first2=Valentina E.|last3=Hutchmeier|first3=Walter K.|last4=Makarov|first4=Dmitry I.|date=2004|title=A Catalog of Neighboring Galaxies|journal=[[The Astronomical Journal]]|volume=127|issue=4|pages=2031–2068|bibcode=2004AJ....127.2031K|doi=10.1086/382905|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Karachentsevetal2006">{{cite journal|author=Karachentsev, I. D.|author2=Kashibadze, O. G.|date=2006|title=Masses of the local group and of the M81 group estimated from distortions in the local velocity field|journal=[[Astrophysics (journal)|Astrophysics]]|volume=49|issue=1|pages=3–18|bibcode=2006Ap.....49....3K|doi=10.1007/s10511-006-0002-6|s2cid=120973010}}</ref>


A weighted average of the most reliable distance estimates gives a distance of 11.4 ± 0.7 Mly (3.5 ± 0.2 Mpc).<ref name="Rekolaetal2005" />
A weighted average of the most reliable distance estimates gives a distance of 11.4 ± 0.7 Mly (3.5 ± 0.2 Mpc).<ref name="Rekolaetal2005" />


==Satellite==
==Satellite==
An international team of researchers has used the [[Subaru Telescope]] to identify a faint dwarf galaxy disrupted by NGC 253. The [[satellite galaxy]] is called NGC 253-dw2 and may not survive its next passage by its much larger host. The host galaxy may suffer some damage too if the dwarf is heavy enough.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.subarutelescope.org/Pressrelease/2016/02/08/index.html|title=Galactic Space Oddity Discovered|date=February 8, 2016|website=[[Subaru Telescope]]|publisher=[[National Astronomical Observatory of Japan]]|access-date=February 9, 2016}}</ref> The interplay between the two galaxies is responsible for the disturbation in NGC 253's structure.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Romanowsky|first=Aaron J.|last2=Martínez-Delgado|first2=David|last3=Martin|first3=Nicolas F.|last4=Morales|first4=Gustavo|last5=Jennings|first5=Zachary G.|last6=GaBany|first6=R. Jay|last7=Brodie|first7=Jean P.|last8=Grebel|first8=Eva K.|last9=Schedler|first9=Johannes|display-authors=4|title=Satellite accretion in action: a tidally disrupting dwarf spheroidal around the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 253|journal=[[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]]|volume=456|issue=1|pages=103–107|arxiv=1512.03815|bibcode=2016MNRAS.457L.103R|doi=10.1093/mnrasl/slv207|first10=Michael|last10=Sidonio|year=2016}}</ref>
An international team of researchers has used the [[Subaru Telescope]] to identify a faint dwarf galaxy disrupted by NGC 253. The [[satellite galaxy]] is called NGC 253-dw2 and may not survive its next passage by its much larger host. The host galaxy may suffer some damage too if the dwarf is heavy enough.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.subarutelescope.org/Pressrelease/2016/02/08/index.html|title=Galactic Space Oddity Discovered|date=February 8, 2016|website=[[Subaru Telescope]]|publisher=[[National Astronomical Observatory of Japan]]|access-date=February 9, 2016}}</ref> The interplay between the two galaxies is responsible for the disturbation in NGC 253's structure.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Romanowsky|first1=Aaron J.|last2=Martínez-Delgado|first2=David|last3=Martin|first3=Nicolas F.|last4=Morales|first4=Gustavo|last5=Jennings|first5=Zachary G.|last6=GaBany|first6=R. Jay|last7=Brodie|first7=Jean P.|last8=Grebel|first8=Eva K.|last9=Schedler|first9=Johannes|display-authors=4|title=Satellite accretion in action: a tidally disrupting dwarf spheroidal around the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 253|journal=[[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]]|volume=456|issue=1|pages=103–107|arxiv=1512.03815|bibcode=2016MNRAS.457L.103R|doi=10.1093/mnrasl/slv207|first10=Michael|last10=Sidonio|year=2016}}</ref>




Revision as of 22:29, 16 March 2021

Not to be confused with the Sculptor Dwarf Galaxy or the Sculptor Dwarf Irregular Galaxy.
Sculptor Galaxy
The Sculptor Galaxy taken with the ESO VISTA Telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationSculptor
Right ascension00h 47m 33s[1]
Declination−25° 17′ 18″[1]
Redshift0.000811[1]
Heliocentric radial velocity243 ± 2 km/s [1]
Distance11.4 ± 0.7 Mly
   (3.5 ± 0.2 Mpc)[2]
Apparent magnitude (V)8.0[1]
Characteristics
TypeSAB(s)c[1]
Size~90,000 ly (diameter)
Apparent size (V)27′.5 × 6′.8[1]
Other designations
Silver Coin Galaxy,[1] Silver Dollar Galaxy,[3] NGC 253,[1] UGCA 13,[1] PGC 2789[1] Caldwell 65

The Sculptor Galaxy (also known as the Silver Coin, Silver Dollar Galaxy, NGC 253, or Caldwell 65) is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor. The Sculptor Galaxy is a starburst galaxy, which means that it is currently undergoing a period of intense star formation.

Observation

Observational history

The galaxy was discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1783 during one of her systematic comet searches.[4][5] About half a century later, John Herschel observed it using his 18-inch metallic mirror reflector at the Cape of Good Hope.[5] He wrote: "very bright and large (24′ in length); a superb object.... Its light is somewhat streaky, but I see no stars in it except 4 large and one very small one, and these seem not to belong to it, there being many near..."[5]

In 1961, Allan Sandage wrote in the Hubble Atlas of Galaxies that the Sculptor Galaxy is "the prototype example of a special subgroup of Sc systems....photographic images of galaxies of the group are dominated by the dust pattern. Dust lanes and patches of great complexity are scattered throughout the surface. Spiral arms are often difficult to trace.... The arms are defined as much by the dust as by the spiral pattern."[6] Bernard Y. Mills, working out of Sydney, discovered that the Sculptor Galaxy is also a fairly strong radio source.[5]

In 1998, the Hubble Space Telescope took a detailed image of NGC 253.[7]

Amateur observation

As one of the brightest galaxies in the sky, the Sculptor Galaxy can be seen through binoculars and is near the star Beta Ceti. It is considered one of the most easily viewed galaxies in the sky after the Andromeda Galaxy.[5][8]

The Sculptor Galaxy is a good target for observation with a telescope with a 300 mm diameter or larger.[8] In such telescopes, it appears as a galaxy with a long, oval bulge and a mottled galactic disc.[8] Although the bulge appears only slightly brighter than the rest of the galaxy, it is fairly extended compared to the disk.[8] In 400 mm scopes and larger, a dark dust lane northwest of the nucleus is visible, and over a dozen faint stars can be seen superimposed on the bulge.[8]

Features

Three-dimensional view of ALMA observations of the outflows.[9]
Detail of NGC 253 by Hubble Space Telescope. (Credit: HST/NASA/ESA).

The Sculptor Galaxy is located at the center of the Sculptor Group, one of the nearest groups of galaxies to the Milky Way.[10] The Sculptor Galaxy (the brightest galaxy in the group and one of the intrinsically brightest galaxies in the vicinity of ours, only surpassed by the Andromeda Galaxy and the Sombrero Galaxy[11]) and the companion galaxies NGC 247, PGC 2881, PGC 2933, Sculptor-dE1, and UGCA 15 form a gravitationally-bound core near the center of the group. Most other galaxies associated with the Sculptor Group are only weakly gravitationally bound to this core.[10][12]

Starburst

NGC 253's starburst has created several super star clusters on NGC 253's center (discovered with the aid of the Hubble Space Telescope): one with a mass of 1.5*106 solar masses, and absolute magnitude of at least -15, and two others with 5*104 solar masses and absolute magnitudes around -11;[13] later studies have discovered an even more massive cluster heavily obscured by NGC 253's interstellar dust with a mass of 1.4*107 solar masses, an age of around 5.7*106 years, and rich in Wolf-Rayet stars.[14]

Star formation is also high in the northeast of NGC 253's disk, where a number of red supergiant stars can be found, and in its halo there are young stars as well as some amounts of neutral hydrogen. This, along with other peculiarities found in NGC 253, suggest that a gas-rich dwarf galaxy collided with it 200 million years ago, disturbing its disk and starting the present starburst.[15]

As happens in other galaxies suffering strong star formation such as Messier 82, NGC 4631, or NGC 4666, the stellar winds of the massive stars produced in the starburst as well as their deaths as supernovae have blown out material to NGC 253's halo in the form of a superwind that seems to be inhibiting star formation in the galaxy.[16]

Although supernovae are generally associated with starburst galaxies, only one supernova has been detected within the Sculptor Galaxy.[1] The supernova, named SN 1940E, is located approximately 54″ southwest of the galaxy's nucleus. It was discovered in November 1940.[17]

Central black hole

Research suggests the presence of a supermassive black hole in the center of this galaxy with a mass estimated to be 5 million times that of our Sun, which is slightly heavier than Sagittarius A*.[18]

Distance estimates

At least two techniques have been used to measure distances to Sculptor in the past ten years.

Using the planetary nebula luminosity function method, an estimate of 10.89 +0.85
−1.24 million light years (or Mly; 3.34 +0.26
−0.38 Megaparsecs, or Mpc) was achieved in 2006.[2]

The Sculptor Galaxy is close enough that the tip of the red-giant branch (TRGB) method may also be used to estimate its distance. The estimated distance to Sculptor using this technique in 2004 yielded 12.8 ± 1.2 Mly (3.94 ± 0.37 Mpc).[19][20]

A weighted average of the most reliable distance estimates gives a distance of 11.4 ± 0.7 Mly (3.5 ± 0.2 Mpc).[2]

Satellite

An international team of researchers has used the Subaru Telescope to identify a faint dwarf galaxy disrupted by NGC 253. The satellite galaxy is called NGC 253-dw2 and may not survive its next passage by its much larger host. The host galaxy may suffer some damage too if the dwarf is heavy enough.[21] The interplay between the two galaxies is responsible for the disturbation in NGC 253's structure.[22]


  • NGC 253 imaged by W4SM with 17" PlaneWave CDK scope, Louisa, VA.
    NGC 253 imaged by W4SM with 17" PlaneWave CDK scope, Louisa, VA.
  • Sculptor Galaxy as photographed by amateur astronomer. Unrelated stars have been edited out.
    Sculptor Galaxy as photographed by amateur astronomer. Unrelated stars have been edited out.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 253. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
  2. ^ a b c Rekola, R.; Richer, M. G.; McCall, Marshall L.; Valtonen, M. J.; Kotilainen, J. K.; Flynn, Chris (2005). "Distance to NGC 253 based on the planetary nebula luminosity function". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 361 (1): 330–336. Bibcode:2005MNRAS.361..330R. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09166.x.
  3. ^ Nemiroff, R.; Bonnell, J., eds. (2006-04-21). "NGC 253: Dusty Island Universe". Astronomy Picture of the Day. NASA. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  4. ^ Dreyer, J. L. E. (1888). "A New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars, being the Catalogue of the late Sir John F.W. Herschel, Bart., revised, corrected, and enlarged". Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society. 49: 1–237. Bibcode:1888MmRAS..49....1D.
  5. ^ a b c d e Burnham, Robert (1978). Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System. Vol. Volume Three, Pavo Through Vulpecula. Dover Publications, Inc. p. 1736. ISBN 978-0-486-24065-7. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  6. ^ Sandage, Allan (1961). The Hubble Atlas of Galaxies. Washington: Carnegie Institution. Bibcode:1961hag..book.....S. ISBN 978-0-87279-629-4.
  7. ^ "HubbleSite NewsCenter". Results for NGC 253. Retrieved 2007-04-05.
  8. ^ a b c d e Kepple, George Robert; Sanner, Glen W. (1998). The Night Sky Observer's Guide. Vol. 2. Willmann-Bell, Inc. pp. 365, 371. ISBN 978-0-943396-60-6.
  9. ^ "Starburst to Star Bust". European Southern Observatory. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  10. ^ a b Karachentsev, I. D. (2005). "The Local Group and Other Neighboring Galaxy Groups". The Astronomical Journal. 129 (1): 178–188. arXiv:astro-ph/0410065. Bibcode:2005AJ....129..178K. doi:10.1086/426368.
  11. ^ Karachentsev, Igor D.; Karachentseva, Valentina E.; Huchtmeier, Walter K.; Makarov, Dmitry I. (2003). "A Catalog of Neighboring Galaxies". The Astronomical Journal. 127 (4): 2031–2068. Bibcode:2004AJ....127.2031K. doi:10.1086/382905.
  12. ^ Karachentsev, I. D.; Grebel, E. K.; Sharina, M. E.; Dolphin, A. E.; et al. (2003). "Distances to nearby galaxies in Sculptor". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 404 (1): 93–111. arXiv:astro-ph/0302045. Bibcode:2003A&A...404...93K. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20030170. S2CID 54977869.
  13. ^ Watson, A. M.; Gallagher, J. S., III; Holtzman, J. A.; Hester, J. J.; et al. (1996). "The Discovery of Young, Luminous, Compact Stellar Clusters in the Starburst Galaxy NGC 253" (PDF). The Astronomical Journal. 112 (2): 534. Bibcode:1996AJ....112..534W. doi:10.1086/118032.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ Kornei, Katherine A.; McCrady, Nate (2009). "A Young Super Star Cluster in the Nuclear Region of NGC 253". The Astrophysical Journal. 697 (2): 1180–1186. arXiv:0902.4027. Bibcode:2009ApJ...697.1180K. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/697/2/1180. S2CID 18960325.
  15. ^ Davidge, T. J. (2010). "Shaken, Not Stirred: The Disrupted Disk of the Starburst Galaxy NGC 253". The Astrophysical Journal. 725 (1): 1342–1365. arXiv:1011.3006. Bibcode:2010ApJ...725.1342D. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/725/1/1342. S2CID 118649411.
  16. ^ Bolatto, Alberto D.; Warren, Steven R.; Leroy, Adam K.; Walter, Fabian; et al. (2013). "Suppression of star formation in the galaxy NGC 253 by a starburst-driven molecular wind". Nature. 499 (7459): 450–453. arXiv:1307.6259. Bibcode:2013Natur.499..450B. doi:10.1038/nature12351. PMID 23887428. S2CID 4366091.
  17. ^ Barbon, R.; Cappellaro, E.; Ciatti, F.; Turatto, M.; Kowal, C. T. (1984). "A revised supernova catalogue". Astronomy & Astrophysics Supplement Series. 58: 735–750. Bibcode:1984A&AS...58..735B.
  18. ^ "Black Hole Naps Amidst Stellar Chaos". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA. June 11, 2013.
  19. ^ Karachentsev, Igor D.; Karachentseva, Valentina E.; Hutchmeier, Walter K.; Makarov, Dmitry I. (2004). "A Catalog of Neighboring Galaxies". The Astronomical Journal. 127 (4): 2031–2068. Bibcode:2004AJ....127.2031K. doi:10.1086/382905.
  20. ^ Karachentsev, I. D.; Kashibadze, O. G. (2006). "Masses of the local group and of the M81 group estimated from distortions in the local velocity field". Astrophysics. 49 (1): 3–18. Bibcode:2006Ap.....49....3K. doi:10.1007/s10511-006-0002-6. S2CID 120973010.
  21. ^ "Galactic Space Oddity Discovered". Subaru Telescope. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. February 8, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  22. ^ Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Martínez-Delgado, David; Martin, Nicolas F.; Morales, Gustavo; et al. (2016). "Satellite accretion in action: a tidally disrupting dwarf spheroidal around the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 253". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 456 (1): 103–107. arXiv:1512.03815. Bibcode:2016MNRAS.457L.103R. doi:10.1093/mnrasl/slv207.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
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