NGC 55


Combination of 5, 3 minute exposures, SBIG ST9XE CCD camera.
300mm f/6 newtonian telescope at prime focus.

NGC 55 is a beautiful, edge-on galaxy in southern Sculptor. It is one of the brighter members of the Sculptor group of galaxies that includes the more well known NGC 253. NGC 55 is not well known to northern hemisphere observers due to its southern location. From the southern hemisphere, where it rides high in the sky, it is easily visible in 50mm binoculars, while in an 8" telescope, it appears as a thin line that is noticeably brighter in its western regions. There is some debate as to the classification of M55. Generally it is considered to be an irregular galaxy, however some catalogues classify it as a spiral.


Combination of 5, 3 minute exposures using red and green filters, and 6, 3 minute exposures using a blue filter.
SBIG ST8XE CCD camera. 300mm f/6 newtonian telescope at prime focus.


Combination of 20, 3 minute exposures unfiltered.
SBIG STL-1001E CCD camera. 300mm f/6 newtonian telescope at prime focus.


Combination of 5, 3 minute images. SBIG STL-1001E CCD.
20" f/6.8 cassegrain at prime focus.


Combination of 20, 3 minute exposures unfiltered.
SBIG ST8XE CCD camera. 300mm f/6 newtonian telescope at prime focus.


Combination of the above image and the colour data from the second image.