M33 The Triangulum Galaxy (LRGB)
The Triangulum Galaxy (Messier 33) is a member of the local group of galaxies that includes the Andromeda galaxy and the Milky Way. At a distance of approximately 2.4 million light years, it is only slight further away than the Andromeda galaxy but much smaller in size. Prominent HII regions (diffuse emission nebula containing ionized hydrogen) abound in the galaxy's spiral arms and many such areas have been assigned their own NGC calalog number. The brightest of these HII regions (NGC 604) has been imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope (see below). Click on the links below to read Rob Gendler's excellent description of the Triangulum Galaxy and to view the HII region (NGC 604) images taken through the Hubble Space Telescope.
Image Details
| Target: | M33, NGC 598 |
| Coordinates (Center - J2000): | RA 01h 33m 52s ; Dec +30d 39m 29s |
| Date: | 14 October 2007 |
| Constellation: | Triangulum |
| Imaging Location: | Chiefland, Florida |
| Camera: | SBIG ST-8XME & CFW-10 Color Filter Wheel |
| Filters: | Astrodon Series E Tru-Balance LRGB |
| Telescope: | Takahashi TSA-102S 4" APO Triplet f/8 (FL = 814mm) |
| Mount: | Takahashi EM-200 Temma II GEM (12 VDC) |
| Image Scale: | 2.28 arcseconds per pixel |
| CCD Temperature: | -10 C |
| L:R:G:B Exposures: | 130:50:50:50 minutes (L=13x600s / RGB=5x600s each) |
| Mount Control Software: | The Sky 6.0.0.52 |
| Camera Control Software: | CCDSoft 5.00.182 |
| Focus Control Software: | FocusMax 3.3.15 |
| Executive Control Software: | CCD Commander 1.4.5 |
| Sub-frame Registration Software: | Registar |
| Calibration and Combining Software: | CCDStack |
| Final Processing Software: | Photoshop CS |
Additional Information
Description of M33 (By Rob Gendler): http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/M33text.html
Hubble Space Telescope Image of HII Region NGC 604: Hubble Space Telecope Image NGC 604