Abbreviation:

Scl

English name:

Sculptor's Apparatus

Coordinates

see Stellar data

Particulars:

• Double stars epsilon Scl, kappa1 Scl
• Variable star R Scl
• Globular cluster NGC 288
• Spiralgalaxies NGC 55, NGC 253
• Elliptic galaxy NGC 7793

General:

One of the fainter constellations of the southern hemisphere. It streches roughly from RA=23h 10m to RA=1h 40m and DECL= -39 degrees to DECL=-25 degrees, respectively. It neighboured to Fornax to the west, Cetus and Aquarius to the north, Piscis Austrinus in the east and finally Grus and Phoenix and on the sourthern border.
In this constellation you find the south galactic pole.

Stars and objects

Even small telescopes reveal the pair of epsilon Scl, sitting on the very north-western edge to Fornax. One component is of 5th mag, the other one of 7th mag in brightness.
Kappa1 Scl, on the other hand, is a tight pair, which only resolves using high magnitudes and scopes with at least 100mm aperture. The two stars are both about 6th mag.
The brightness of the variable star R Scl varies from about 5.8 mag to 7.7 mag within one year. This bright giant of the type C6II shows a wonderful deep red color.
In small telescopes NGC 55 shows up as a stripe of variing brightness. It is a 8th mag spiralgalaxy nearly edge on to us.
NGC 253 is also known as Silver Coin Galaxy or Sculptor Galaxy. It is the brighthest galaxy in sculptor with about 7 mag. Due to its position in the sky it looks like a cigar when views in small scopes. Yet it is a nice with larger instruments.