M33 - The Triangulum Galaxy
This image of M33 was taken through a Vixen FL102S refracting telescope “4 inches/102mm diameter) with a Canon 40D DSLR camera at prime focus. The guiding was using a Skywatcher ST80 telescope, mounted side by side with the Vixen, and a DMK21 camera using the PHD guiding software.
Each sub exposure was for 5 minutes with a total exposure time of 55 minutes. The subs together with dark frames, bias frames and flats were combined in Deep Sky Stacker and the resulting file processed in Photoshop CS2.
This image clearly needs more data and so as soon as the opportunity arises more frames will be taken
and this image will be updated.
Each sub exposure was for 5 minutes with a total exposure time of 55 minutes. The subs together with dark frames, bias frames and flats were combined in Deep Sky Stacker and the resulting file processed in Photoshop CS2.
This image clearly needs more data and so as soon as the opportunity arises more frames will be taken
and this image will be updated.
M33 The Triangulum Galaxy or Pinwheel Galaxy is around 2.3 million light years away. It has magnitude 5.7 which would normally mean that it would be just visible to the naked eye and easily visible in a small telescope. However, because it is a large galaxy the light is spread over a large area and so it’s surface brightness is much less. In my experience it can be seen readily in large binoculars or in a large telescope (20”). I can see it in a smaller telescope but a low power wide angle eyepiece is needed. It is one of our local group of galaxies.
