|NGC 253 is not only one of the brightest
spiral galaxies visible,
it is also one of the
Discovered in 1783 by Caroline Herschel in the constellation of Sculptor,
NGC 253 lies only about ten million light-years distant.
NGC 253 is the largest member of the
Sculptor Group of Galaxies, the nearest group to our own
Local Group of Galaxies.
The dense dark
accompanies a high
star formation rate, giving
NGC 253 the designation of
Visible in the above photograph
is the active central nucleus,
also known to be a bright source of
X-rays and gamma rays.
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