M 33 - The Pinwheel Galaxy in Triangulum
Copyright 2001 Hap Griffin
M 33 is one of four other galaxies which, along with our own Milky Way galaxy, make up what is known as the "Local Group." On very dark nights, it can be glimpsed with the naked eye by experienced observers and covers an area almost four times the size of the full moon.
M 33 has long been
known to astronomers, being first cataloged before 1654 and later
"re-discovered" by Charles Messier in 1764. Due to its apparent
size and proximity, 3 million light-years (just next door in galactic terms!),
it has been thoroughly studied and mapped. Several very large HII regions
of star formation have been cataloged, along with 112 variable stars, 4 novae,
25 Cepheid variable stars, and a large X-ray source. The galaxy has a
predominately blue color due to the large number of young, hot stars in its
arms.
Date/Location:
November 9, 2001 Griffin/Hunter
Observatory Bethune, SC
Instrument: Meade f6.3 10" LX-200
Focal Ratio: Approx. f4 (utilizing focal reducer in GEG)
Guiding: Auto via ST4 through GEG
Conditions: Visually clear
Weather: 45 F, calm
Film: Kodak Elite Chrome 200
Exposure: Composite of two exposures: 2 x 60 minutes
Filters: None
Processing: Combined in Registar 1.0, finished in Photoshop 5