From CFHT Wide Field Imaging Gallery
Messier 33 is a member of the Local Group, a group of galaxies including amongst its biggest members our galaxy (the Galaxy) and Messier 31 (the largest of all three). M 33 is a Sc type galaxy, its diameter is about 7 kpc and is about 2 million light years distant from us. The three main components seen here are the central bulge, the spiral arms and the general disk structure. The bulge contains mostly old stars giving this yellowish color whereas new stars formed in the spiral arms are blue.
Image Title: Spiral Galaxy Messier 33
Credit: Jean-Charles Cuillandre (CFHT), James Lequeux (DEMIRM)
The text is based on accompanying on-line materials.
Last Modified On: Sunday, December 17, 2000