File:M33 - The Triangulum Galaxy.jpg

English: The Triangulum Galaxy (M33) resides approximately 2.7 million light years from Earth and its spiral arms span roughly 60,000 light years across. It is the third largest galaxy of the Local Group preceded by the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way. The pink, reddish areas sprinkling the broad arms of the galaxy are hydrogen rich, nebulous regions rich with star formation.

I think it is important to highlight the fact that the stars present in the image are in the foreground and reside within our own galaxy. The image presents our view looking out through the Milky Way's star field, into the vast emptiness of intergalactic space, and towards the Triangulum Galaxy. The light collected for this image was emitted long ago and took 2.7 million years to travel the distance that exists between the object and the observer.

Data for the image was collected on 11/6 through 11/7/2021 at Anza Borrego Desert State Park in California. Imaging train includes: Meade Series 6000 Apochromatic Refractor (115mm, 805mm, F7), ZWO ASI MC071 Pro, Hotech Field Flattener, and Orion Light Pollution filter. An Orion Atlas EQ-G mount was guided with an Orion Starshoot package. Total image integration time was 4 hours and calibration frames were added to subtract camera noise, dust, dead pixels, etc. Image was stacked in DSS and processed in PS.