Triangulum Galaxy
Where is the Triangulum Galaxy?
Look south, about 69° up at 01:33 in Triangulum.
- Rises
- 16:17
- Highest
- 01:37
- Sets
- 10:56
- Best after dark
- 01:33 · 69°
Can I see the Triangulum Galaxy tonight?
From London tonight, the Triangulum Galaxy is above the horizon all night. It’s highest after dark at 01:33, in the south at 69°.
At magnitude 5.7, with its light spread out, it needs binoculars and a dark sky.
This is position and timing only: clouds, haze and light pollution aren’t included.
What does the Triangulum Galaxy look like?
Eyes
Only under exceptionally dark skies, as a very faint glow. Not visible from suburbs or cities.
Binoculars
Under dark skies, a large, faint, round glow.
Telescope
Use low power. A pale oval glow; dark skies and 200 mm or more may show hints of spiral arms. Light pollution washes it out almost completely.
About the Triangulum Galaxy
The Triangulum Galaxy is the third-largest member of our Local Group, after Andromeda and the Milky Way. It is a face-on spiral about 3 million light-years away.
Its light is spread over an area larger than the full Moon, which makes it surprisingly hard to see. Under exceptionally dark skies, some observers glimpse it with the naked eye, making it a contender for the most distant naked-eye object.
Large telescopes show glowing clouds of gas in its arms, places where stars are being born.
Its brightest star-forming cloud, NGC 604, is one of the largest known, about 1,500 light-years across, and can be seen in medium-sized amateur telescopes as a small knot.
M33 may be gravitationally bound to the Andromeda Galaxy as a distant companion. It has no large central bulge, unlike Andromeda and the Milky Way.
The best time to look is on autumn evenings under a moonless sky. Observers often find it easier at very low magnification, where its faint glow stands out against a darker background.
Nearby in the sky
Questions
Why is M33 hard to see despite its brightness?
Sources: SkyMate; OpenNGC (CC BY-SA 4.0); star chart: Wikidata (CC0). Positions computed for your place and time with astronomy-engine. Data & Licences