My Attempt at Capturing the Triangulum Galaxy

It's always a thrilling experience to point our equipment towards the vastness of space and try to capture celestial wonders. My latest endeavor was to photograph the Triangulum Galaxy (M33), and while this attempt is a good starting point, it definitely calls for more integration time to truly bring out its details.

The Journey Begins

For this capture, I utilized a dedicated setup designed for deep-sky imaging:

• Telescope: William Optics MiniCat 51 WIFD
• Camera: Canon Rebel T7i
• Mount: Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i - WiFi
• Accessories: ZWO ASIAIR Mini, ZWO EAF
• Software: GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP), Siril Team Siril, Steffen Hirtle GraXpert

This combination provides a wonderfully wide field of view, which is fantastic for capturing larger celestial objects. However, as noted by fellow astrophotographers, it does mean that galaxies, even relatively large ones like Triangulum, can appear quite small in the frame. It's a trade-off that comes with the territory of wide-field imaging, and it certainly adds a unique perspective.

Data Acquisition

I managed to collect 120 subs, with each exposure lasting 50 seconds. This brings the total integration time to 1 hour and 27 minutes. While this is a respectable amount of data for a first pass, astrophotography often rewards patience and even longer integration periods to reduce noise and reveal faint details.

The Result

Here is my latest capture of the Triangulum Galaxy:

As you can see, the galaxy is present, but there's still a lot of potential for improvement. More data will help to smooth out the background and bring out the subtle structures within M33. I'm considering capturing more data today if the weather and my schedule permit, or I might revisit this target during the next new moon phase for optimal viewing conditions.

Reflections

It's fascinating to see how different focal lengths and fields of view can dramatically alter our perception of celestial objects. With my wide-field setup, Andromeda appears quite grand, while Triangulum presents a more compact, yet equally captivating, spectacle. The beauty of astrophotography lies not just in the final image, but in the entire process – from planning and equipment setup to data acquisition and processing. Each session is a learning experience, pushing us to refine our techniques and deepen our understanding of the cosmos.

I'm excited to continue refining this image and to share future captures with you all! Happy stargazing!