Triangulum Galaxy

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The Triangulum Galaxy (also known as M33 or NGC 598) is a spiral galaxy about 2.6 million light-years away in the constellation Triangulum. The Triangulum Galaxy is small relative to its larger neighbors such as the Milky Way Galaxy and the Andromeda Galaxy, but is about average compared to most spiral galaxies in the universe. The Triangulum Galaxy is a member of the Local group of galaxies and may be a gravitationally bound companion of Andromeda. The Pisces Dwarf (LGS 3), one of the small Local Group member galaxies, is possibly a satellite of Triangulum.

Andreas Brunthaler reported research in 2005 that showed the proper motion of the Triangulum Galaxy, from maser-produced radio emissions, to be approaching Andromeda at 190 km/s. This was the first measurement of the proper motion of any galaxy, and amounts to tens of micro-arcseconds per year.

General information

NGC 604 in the Triangulum Galaxy is a very massive open cluster surrounded by an H II region.

The Triangulum Galaxy was probably discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654, who may have grouped it together with open cluster NGC 752. It was independently discovered by Charles Messier in 1764, who catalogued it as M33 on August 25. M33 was also catalogued independently by William Herschel on September 11, 1784, who assigned it the number H V.17. It was among the first "spiral Nebulae" identified as such by Lord Rosse.

Herschel also cataloged The Triangulum Galaxy's brightest and largest H II region (diffuse emission nebula containing ionized hydrogen) as H III.150 separately from the galaxy itself, which eventually obtained NGC number 604. As seen from Earth NGC 604 is located northeast of the galaxy's central core, and is one of the largest H II regions known with a diameter of nearly 1500 light years and a spectrum similar to the Orion Nebula.

This galaxy can be seen with the naked eye under exceptionally good conditions.

References in fiction

In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Triangulum Galaxy is where the USS Enterprise is warped to after a being known as The Traveler uses his powers to influence the ship's warp drive. M33 is said to be approximately 2.7 million light years away from the United Federation of Planets territories. The galaxy was first encountered in the [[Star Trek: The Next Generation]] episode "Where No One Has Gone Before."

Triangulum is a setting for a number of races in the related Star Fleet Universe, explored in a module currently [in development].

On Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda the Systems Commonwealth had territory in the Triangulum Galaxy in addition to the Andromeda and Milky Way Galaxies.

In the Belgian comic book series Yoko Tsuno written by Roger Leloup, M33 is the home of the blue-skinned Vineans, whom the main characters befriend. About a third of the stories takes place in this galaxy.

See also

• List of Messier objects
• New General Catalogue
• [WikiProject Astronomical ObjectsWikipedia Project: Astronomical Objects]

References