Messier 33 (Triangulum)
Fig. 1 - About half the size of our Milky Way galaxy: Messier 33 in Triangulum, photographed with an 8-inch f/5 newtonian reflector on a ZWO AM5 mount. Messier 33 belongs to the Local Group of galaxies.
| Object name: | Constellation: | Coordinates: | Apparent size: | Visual brightness: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messier 33 (= NGC 598) | Triangulum | 01h34m / +30 40' | 71' x 42' | 5.7 mag |
The spiral galaxy Messier 33 (Triangulum Galaxy, NGC 598) in the constellation Triangulum. The galaxy is approximately 3 million light years from Earth and was probably discovered by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Battista Hodierna before 1654 and independently discovered by the French astronomer Charles Messier in 1764.
With a diameter of 50'000-60'000 light years, Messier 33 is the third-largest galaxy of the Local Group of galaxies (the Local Group includes the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy and more than 50 other neighbouring galaxies). It is one of the most distant objects that can be viewed by the naked eye (source: Wikipedia).
Eighty-three 3-minute exposures (249 minutes total exposure) at gain 100 and -10°C, taken on September 6 / 7, 2024, were added for this shot with Astro Pixel Processor (APP) software and the final image processing was done in Photoshop. Darks, flats, bias and darkflats were used.
Equipment: Cooled ASI 2600MC Pro camera at -10°C, TeleVue Paracorr Type II coma corrector, 8" f/5 "ONTC" newtonian telescope riding on a ZWO AM5 Strain Wave Mount, ZWO OAG-L off axis system, ASI 174MM Mini guide camera, ASIAIR Plus.
Fig. 2 - Search chart for Messier 33. Copyright 2024 'The Mag-7 Star Atlas Project', www.siaris.net.