Right ascension 01 00 09.3 Redshift 110 ± 1 km/s Apparent size (V) 39′.8 × 30′.9 Constellation Sculptor | Declination −33° 42′ 33″ Type E Magnitude 10.1 Apparent magnitude (V) 10.1 | |
 | ||
Distance 290 ± 30 kly (90 ± 10 kpc) Similar Draco Dwarf, Carina Dwarf Spheroid, Fornax Dwarf, Ursa Minor Dwarf, Leo II | ||
A close up look at the sculptor dwarf galaxy
The Sculptor Dwarf Galaxy (also known as Sculptor Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy or the Sculptor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy) is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy that is a satellite of the Milky Way. The galaxy lies within the constellation Sculptor. It was discovered in 1937 by American astronomer Harlow Shapley using the 24-inch Bruce refractor at Boyden Observatory. The galaxy is located about 290,000 light-years away from the Solar System. The Sculptor Dwarf contains only 4 percent of the carbon and other heavy elements in our own galaxy, the Milky Way, making it similar to primitive galaxies seen at the edge of the universe.
Contents
Metallicity
The metallicity of Sculptor dwarf appears to be broken up into two distinct groups, one with [Fe/H] = -2.3 and the other with [Fe/H] = -1.5. Similar to many of the other Local Group galaxies, the older metal-poor segment appears more extended than the younger metal-rich segment.