The Triangulum Galaxy (M33)

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Spiral galaxy M33 is a mid-sized member of our Local Group of Galaxies. M33 is also called the Triangulum Galaxy for the constellation in which it resides. About four times smaller (in radius) than our Milky Way Galaxy and the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), it is much larger than the many of the local dwarf spheroidal galaxies. M33's proximity to M31 causes it to be thought by some to be a satellite galaxy of this more massive galaxy. M33's proximity to our Milky Way Galaxy causes it to appear more than twice the angular size of the Full Moon, and be visible with a good pair of binoculars.
(Text adapted from APOD)

The full-resolution version of this image is about 180 Megapixels and has a resolution of about 1 arc-second per pixel. The area of sky shown here is about 3,6° x 3,8° (for comparison, the full-Moon disc has an average diameter of about 0,5°). The color composite has been completed on August 26, 2005.
The full-resolution image can generally be obtained. Typical applications are reproduction in books, magazines and periodicals, use for public exhibitions in planetariums, museums, talks, etc. If interested, please read my policy or e-mail me with your request.

Copyright: Davide De Martin.

This color composite image is based on data coming from several photographic plates taken between 1991 and 1992 through the Palomar Observatory's 48-inch (1,2-meter) Samuel Oschin Telescope as a part of the second National Geographic Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II). The photographs were recorded on two type of glass photographic plates - one sensitive to red light and the other to blue - that later were digitized.
Credit: Caltech, Palomar Observatory, Digitized Sky Survey.