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M33 is a very nearby spiral galaxy at a distance of 3 million light
years away. It is close enough that under dark skies it can easily be
seen in binoculars. In addition, its nearness makes the galaxy appear
large in angular size on the night sky. Our telescope is unable to accomodate
the full size of the galaxy in a single exposure. Instead, it is necessary to
take many pictures of the galaxy (different regions) and stitch them into
a large mosaic of images. This image is the result of 16 exposures. Indeed
it is the first attempt at a mosaic (several years ago) done at the Visitor
Center Observatory. Not bad for a first try... but it needs a little work!
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| This picture is a mosaic of 16 five minute exposures binned 1x1. The picture has of course been greatly reduced.There are obviously a few gaps in the data. | The Color image was acquired using the AO unit at f/10. The exposure times are L= 80, R=G=10, B=20 (binned 2x2). |
Minimum credit line: (Top image)Jeff Ball/Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF
(Bottom Image) Ross and Julia Meyers/Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF
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