Galaxy · Spiral
Triangulum (M33)
Triangulum (M33) is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Triangulum, 2.74 million light-years away. The third-largest member of the Local Group; one of the most distant objects visible to the naked eye.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Triangulum |
| Distance | 2.74 million light-years (840.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 58,700 light-years · 0.67 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −18.90 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 5.72 |
| Luminosity | 0.16 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 33m 50.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | +30° 39′ 36″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
Visible to the naked eye under a dark sky (apparent magnitude 5.72). Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 59° S. North of latitude 59° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 2.7 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 48.6 billion years.