The Sculptor Group of Galaxies (also South Polar Group)

This is the closest group of galaxies to our

Local Group, at only about 10 million light

years distance. It is named the Sculptor Group as it is centered in the Southern

constellation Sculptor, and South Polar Group as its members are grouped around

the South galactic pole (which is at RA 00:51.4, Dec -27:07 (2000.0)).

The group is dominated by bright NGC 253, the Sculptor

or Silver Coin Galaxy, one of the brightest galaxies beyong the Local Group in

the skies. All the group’s members are listed in the following:

• NGC 55 (left in our image)
• NGC 247
• NGC 253 (center in our image)
• NGC 300 (right in image)
• NGC 7793
• SDIG, the Sculptor Dwarf Irregular Galaxy

The first evidence of intergalactic matter was discovered in the Sculptor group

of galaxies in 1974, in intergalactic space between NGC 55 and NGC 300.

The photos displayed here were all taken with the 3.9-meter

Anglo-Australian Telescope and are copyrighted © Anglo-Australian

Observatory. For any but private usage of these images please contact

Coral Cooksley of the

Anglo-Australian Observatory.

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Hartmut Frommert

([email protected])

Christine Kronberg

([email protected])

Last Modification: 8 Mar 1998, 21:35 MET