10x30mm IS binoculars: easily visible as an elongated glow.

Caroline Herschel discovered NGC 253 = H V-1 = h61 = h2345 on 23 Sep 1783 (before William started his sweeps) with a "small Newtonian Sweeper of 27 inches focal length, and a power of 30." This was the only galaxy she discovered. William took a look in his 6.2" reflector and described it as a nebulous spot lengthened out to a considerable extend from SW to NE.". He found it just a month later on 30 Oct 1783 while sweeping horizontally (solo sweep 8 of his second night and only internal discovery #3) with his 18/7-inch, though he knew it was previously found by his sister. He noted, “On looking at the nebula a long while the suspicion of its consisting of stars grows stronger as it begins to put on a faintly mottled appearance.” On 27 Oct 1785 (sweep 467) he recorded "about 45' long and 7 or 8' br; cB, mBM. The place taken is that of the brightest part of it, where there is a small star visible, which however I suppose has no connection with the nebula. It makes an angle of 25 or 40° with the meridian, from sp to nf. The faint ends of it require much attention to be seen, and I believe extend much farther than I could trace them."

John Herschel recorded it from the Cape as "vvB; vvL; vmE; 30' long, 3' or 4' broad; has several stars in it; gmbM to a centre elongated like the nebula itself. The nebula is somewhat streaky and knotty in its constitution and may perhaps be resolvable." A second observation in 1836 was logged as "vvB; vvvL; a superb object; 24' in length, breadth about 3'; pos = 143.8 very exact. Its light is somewhat streaky, but I see no stars in it but 4 large and one very small one, and these seem not to belong to it, there being many near." In the GC, he noted the position angle should read 54.5°.

William Lassell sketched NGC 253 from Malta in November 1863 with his 48" and included numerous dark lanes and rifts on the southwest side and a very irregular outline. Wilhelm Tempel's sketch with the 11" Amici refractor at Florence captures several small knots (brightest in the nucleus) and accurately depicts the surrounding star field and superimposed stars. The origin of the "Silver Coin" nickname goes back to at least 1964 (Time-Life International edition of "The Universe"), with the description "Silvery Coin of the flat Sc spiral NGC 253", though the 1962 edition published in the U.S. reads "Silvery Dollar ..."

200/250mm - 8" (9/11/82): very bright, very elongated, mottled, 25'-30' diameter.

300/350mm - 13" (9/11/82): very bright, elongated 4:1 SW-NE, very mottled, dust lanes, dark patches, 30' diameter.

400/500mm - 17.5" (8/29/92): at 100x; very bright, very large, edge-on 6:1 SW-NE, 30'x5', at 100x. The galaxy exhibits only a weak central concentration to a small elongated core that is slightly larger than the visible knots. Remarkable dust structure and mottling visible particularly on the southwest extension and a dark lane runs along the north side. Three faint HII knots are visible near a superimposed star on the southwest side and a slightly brighter knot lies northeast of a star near the core.

600/800mm - 30" (10/12/15 - OzSky): superb view at 152x and 303x with NGC 253 within 10° of the zenith. Much of the detail seen in Lowrey's 48" was visible, although the bright patches were not quite as contrasty. The nucleus is a very small region embedded in a very bright, elongated central region that is enhanced immediately south of the nucleus. A thin, luminous "arm" extends in the direction of the major axis near the north side. A long spiral "arm" is along the northeast flank of the galaxy, extending 5 or 6' in length. Three slightly brighter patches were noted to the northeast of the core close to a superimposed star (also marked in the 48" observation). A bright, elongated strip was along the southwest side, about 2.8' NNW of a mag 9.3 star near the southwest edge (6.2' from center).

30" (11/5/10 - Coonabarabran, 264x): stunning view in the 13mm Ethos at 264x although the galaxy overfilled the 23' field. The dust structure and knots were mesmerizing but I didn't take detailed notes.

900/1200mm - 48" (10/23/14): although I've viewed NGC 253 several previous times with Lowrey's 48", I'm always amazed by the spectacular view as the mottled galaxy explodes into numerous bright knots, dusty patches, dark lanes and luminous star associations. Using a 21mm Ethos (232x), NGC 253 completely filled the 26' field. The central region of this starburst galaxy contains a blazing, nonstellar nucleus surrounding by an intense, elongated core with several bright patches around the periphery of the core (segments of the inner spiral arms). Just northwest and southeast of the nucleus are extremely bright sections of the core. Since the galaxy is only 12° from edge-on, many visible features extend parallel to the SW-NE major axis (PA = 52°).

A dark lane running SW-NE parallels the core just off its northern side. Close northwest and parallel to this dust lane is a very bright, fairly narrow arm, extending ~3' in length. Another thin arm (also running SW-NE) is to the southeast of the core with a prominent, very thin section ~3.5' SW of center, just southwest of a superimposed mag 12.5-13 star. Three smaller bright patches surround a superimposed star ~2.5' NE of the nucleus. The brightest and largest of these patches is close southeast of the star. Further northeast the surface brightness lowers in the outer portion of the galaxy, but it still appears curdled and blotchy. Several bright stars are near the periphery including a mag 9.3 star 6.2' SW of center and a mag 11.6 star 3.8' W of center. A brighter patch is ~3.5' WSW of center is near the latter star. Additional luminous patches are further out on the southwest end.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb