Photo of the Week for October 21, 2016
When the densest part of the Milky Way swings toward the horizon in autumn, we enjoy a relatively unobstructed view of the universe beyond our galaxy. That’s why we see so many other galaxies at this time of year. Among them, the spectacular Andromeda Galaxy (M31) receives the most attention, but in the same general region of sky is another fine specimen, M33 in Triangulum. A nearly face-on spiral, M33 has low surface brightness, which makes it a challenging visual target when viewed amid urban light pollution. And yet, even under adverse city sky conditions, M33 can be a wonderfully photogenic object. This spectacular image is proof; it was taken by Quebec resident Yanick Bouchard from his home in Mirabel, just west of Montreal.
Yanick used a Celestron EdgeHD 925, 9¼-inch telescope with HyperStar (for a focal ratio of f/2.3) to capture a total of 248 minutes exposure with a ZWO ASI1600MC cooled colour CMOS camera.
