Type: Spiral Galaxy

Constellation: Triangulum

Distance from Earth: 2.73 million light-years

About: The Triangulum Galaxy is the third largest galaxy in our local group of galaxies. Discovered by Charles Messier on the night of August 25–26, 1764. It was published in his Catalog of Nebulae and Star Clusters (1771) as object number 33; hence the name M33. It has also been cataloged as NGC 598

The galaxy is 70% the size of our Milky Way galaxy as it may be home to home to 40 billion stars, compared to 400 billion for the Milky Way and 1 trillion for Andromeda.

Imaging Project Information:

Imaging Telescope: William Optics Fluorostar 91 APO refractor

Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro

Mount: iOptron CEM60

Guiding: ZWO 30mm f/4 guidescope and ASI290MM mini guide camera

Filters and Frames: Optolong RGB and Antlia 3nm Hydrogen Alpha and Oxygen III

Hydrogen Alpha – 69 x 300s
Oxygen III – 49 x 300s
Red – 103 x 180s
Green -79 x 180s
Blue – 105 x 180s

Accessories: Acquisition and system management: MeLe Quieter 3C minicomputer Power and data distribution: Pegasus Astro Pocket Powerbox Advance and USB Control Hub, Focusing: ZWO EAF, Calibration: Primalucelab Giotto 120 Flat Field generator and Alto 1 telescope motor cover

Software: Acquisition – Nighttime Imaging N’ Astronomy (N.I.N.A.) Preprocessing: Pixinsight Postprocessing: Pixinsight

Acquisition Period: 10/23-24, 11/1, 11/2, 11/7-9/2024