| Meaning: | The Triangle |
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Print out the star map from Sky and Telescope
Things to look for: Messier objects: Note: [x.x] indicates visual magnitude |
| Pronunciation: | try ang’ yoo lum | ||
| Associated Asterisms: | None | ||
| % of the sky: | 0.32% | ||
| Visible Stars: | 12 stars brighter than magnitude 5.5 |
Triangulum sits in a small area bounded by Andromeda, Aries, Perseus and Pisces. It is a small constellation ranking 78th in the list from big to small. It does however contain a pearl in the form of M33 the Triangulum Galaxy. A short hop from M31 and M32 in Andromeda, it requires a good dark sky to be fully appreciated.
You can locate Triangulum simply by following the line of the top two stars of the Square across to the left/east by 150% of that distance again.
The name is Latin although the origin is disputed. It has appeared as a constellation since earliest times.
M33, the Triangulum Galaxy, is a satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy M31. It is an edge on spiral giving an impressive view in darker skies. In the very darkest skies it is visible to the naked eye. Not a huge galaxy compared to Andromeda and the Milky Way, it is 46,000 light years across; about 50% of the Milky Way. A good object for newbie astrophotographers to provide a challenge as with the eye, little detail is visible.