Messier 33, also known as the Triangulum Galaxy, is the third-largest galaxy in our local group, half the size of our Milky Way.
Located in the constellation Triangulum, M33 is a spiral galaxy about 3 million light-years from Earth. It’s famous for its well-defined structure and nickname, the Triangulum Galaxy.
This stunning image, comprised of 54 Hubble fields of view, showcases M33 in incredible detail, revealing 25 million stars across a 14,000-light-year-wide region.
The blue regions in M33 indicate rapid star birth. Its star formation rate is 10 times higher than in the Andromeda galaxy.
One of the largest star-forming regions in our local group, NGC 604 is a bright blue patch in M33 and a significant feature of the galaxy.
M33 is thought to be a gravitational companion to Andromeda, potentially joining in the collision between Andromeda and the Milky Way in 4 billion years.
With a magnitude of 5.7, M33 is one of the most distant objects visible without a telescope, best seen in November under dark skies.
First cataloged by Charles Messier in 1764, M33’s true nature was confirmed by Edwin Hubble in the 1920s, proving it is a galaxy beyond our Milky Way.
Although telescopes reveal its spiral structure, M33 is best viewed with binoculars due to its diffuse nature. Low magnification provides the best experience, says NASA.
M33 has been crucial in understanding galaxy formation and distances in space, playing a key role in astronomical research.