The Messier Ten Minute Challenge

M33 - Pinwheel Galaxy in Triangulum

This image was created by median combining 7 x 90 second unfiltered images taken with a Takahashi Epsilon 250 with SBIG ST-8XE CCD. The image has been cut down to be 25 x 25 arc minutes in size.

M33 is a magnificent face-on spiral galaxy with a diameter of 50,000 light-years and a mass of 25 billion solar masses. About 3 million light-years away a number of star clusters and star forming regions can be seen along the galaxy's loosely wound spiral arms. A feature of M33 is the lack of a bright core and low overall surface brightness. With a brighter core M33 would be an easy naked eye object.


Details of the observatory and telescope


Return to Short Projects and Targets of Opportunity


In collaboration with the Remote Astronomical Society Observatory

Martin Nicholson - Daventry, United Kingdom.

This page was last updated on January 14th 2008.