Object : NGC 253, Sculptor Galaxy
Type : near edge-on spiral galaxy
Location : Inner Sydney, Australia
Date : Aug. 10, 2010
Media : White paint, grey and white pencil on black paper
Gear: 17.5” truss dob, GSO Superview 30mm eyepiece, 67X
Conditions: Heavily light polluted
Hi all,
I’ve just found this brilliant site and I’d like to make a submission.
While we would all like to get to a dark site, it isn’t always possible. So last August the best I could manage was a session from my backyard in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
NGC has a lovely lenticular shape, with its extensions very slowly fading out, and a with a brighter Core . I noticed a darker “lane” running down from just below the Core down through the left lobe.
Conditions of Sydney’s sky have deteriorated significantly in the last year, sadly. I remember much more detail was observable last year in 253, and other objects easily visible last year today exceptionally faint, or now invisible in my 17.5” reflector, L .
Kind Regards,
Alex Massey
Alex,
This is really deep space object and good sketch.
Marek
Alex
That is quite good from Maroubra.
Alas cities around the world are drowning out the night sky.
But if you look at a satellite image of worldwide light pollution, Australia still remains one of the best places on the planet for amatuer astronomy.
Scott.
Alex,
That is a very fine sketch of a target I could see from my yard twenty years ago. Those days are gone forever unless someone pulls the plug on light pollution.
Frank 🙂
Wish I could see this from my latitude! Your sketch makes me feel like I can!
Peter
Thanks to all for your kind comments.
Like my description says, I’ve only just come across this marvelous site. From the work I’ve been seeing, I still have a long way to go in lifting my touch.
Cheers,
Alex.