Spiral Galaxy NGC 253 Almost Sideways

NGC 253 is a normal spiral galaxy seen here almost sideways. It is the largest member of the Sculptor Group of Galaxies , the nearest group to our own Local Group of Galaxies. NGC 253 , pictured above , appears visually as one of the brightest spirals on the sky, and is easily visible in southern hemisphere with a good pair of binoculars . The type Sc galaxy is about 10 million light years distant. NGC 253 is considered a starburst galaxy because of high star formation rates and dense dust clouds in its nucleus. The energetic nuclear region is seen to glow in X-ray and gamma-ray light.