Combination of 20, 3 minute exposures
SBIG ST8XE CCD camera. 300mm f/6 newtonian telescope at prime focus.
The Sculptor Dwarf galaxy is a close member of the Local Group, and is an excellent example of a dwarf elliptical galaxy, the most common type of galaxy in the universe.
The total magnitude is a relatively bright 9.8, however the galaxy extremely difficult to observe due to its very low surface brightness. The galaxy is actually larger than the full moon appears, some 40' x 30' in size. The image above is centred on the galaxy, which completely fills the image. The galaxy is visible as an enhancement of the faint star background. With a 17.5" telescope and very dark skies, only vague traces of this object are visible. The problem is that the individual stars of the galaxy are very faint and very well scattered.
