Type

Stellar mass

Location

In M33, the Triangulum galaxy

Finder Chart

Distance

2.7 million light-years (0.84 megaparsecs)

Mass

About 15.7 times the mass of the Sun

Size

Diameter roughly 60 miles (95 km)

Discovery Methods

• Detection of an accretion disk
• Measuring the motions of a companion star

The Triangulum Galaxy, M33, forms a beautiful spiral in this image from Kitt Peak National Observatory. The galaxy is about 30,000 light-years in diameter. The bright red blobs are “nurseries” where new stars are being born. [NOAO/AURA/NSF/T.A.Rector]

This document was last modified: August 13, 2008.