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Object name
M33 the Triangulum galaxy

Constellation: Triangulum
Distance: 2 700 000 light years
Imaged by Jean-Yves Beninger from Alqueva Dark Sky, Portugal
On 25 October and 2 November2024

Equipment:
Astro-Physics Mach1
Astro-Physics AP130 Starfire EDF with 2.7" field flattener 67PF562, 819mm
Camera Zwo ASI 2600MM pixel size 3.76µ
Filters R, G, B, S, H, O

HRGB image

Description:

Messier 33 (M33), also known as the Triangulum Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy about 2.73 million light-years away in the constellation Triangulum. It is the third-largest galaxy in the Local Group, after the Milky Way and Andromeda (M31), and may be gravitationally bound to Andromeda.

M33 spans 60,000 light-years and is rich in star-forming regions, including NGC 604, one of the largest H II regions in the Local Group. Unlike the Milky Way, it lacks a strong central bulge. With an apparent magnitude of 5.7, it can be spotted under dark skies but has a low surface brightness.