How to photograph the Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253)
A big, dusty starburst galaxy, bright in southern spring skies.
Photo byChuck Ayoub(CC0)
When to shoot it from your location
About the Sculptor Galaxy
NGC 253 is one of the brightest galaxies in the sky. From mid-northern latitudes it stays low in the south. From the Southern Hemisphere it passes almost overhead.
Gear and framing
The Sculptor Galaxy spans about 27′ of sky. It frames best with:
- Small refractor (250-600mm)
- Long focal length (800mm and up)
You can see how other people have built their rigs on RigDesigner, including my Sony a6700 and 60mm refractor rig.
Filters
This is a broadband target, which means its light is mostly starlight across the whole spectrum. Shoot it with no filter or a UV/IR cut filter. A broadband light pollution filter can help a little in the suburbs. Dual-band and narrowband filters block most of its light, so leave them off. Plan it for a moonless night at a dark site.
Tips
- From the north, shoot it when it is highest, around when it crosses the meridian.
Processing
Stack your light frames with darks and flats, then remove the background gradient before stretching. AstroBake does all of this for you. Point it at your folders of raw frames, then adjust the result with live sliders.