Triangulum Galaxy

The Triangulum galaxy (M 33) is spiral galaxy located about 3 million light-years from Willingboro and resides in the Triangulum constellation. It is approximately 60 million light-years wide and is third largest galaxy in the Local Group (the two larger ones are, as you remember, Andromeda and Milky Way). And. although it is the smallest of the three, it is the largest as far as star-forming is concerned. It currently contains about 40 billion stars.

Blue-colored regions scattered throughout the image reveal numerous sites of rapid star birth. NGC 604 (as shown in the photograph) is the largest star-forming region in the Triangulum galaxy and is one of the largest stellar nurseries in the entire Local Group.

Now, the Andromeda galaxy is moving towards the Milky Way and a collision between the two galaxies will occur in about 4 billion years. How the Triangulum galaxy plays into this is not understood. Perhaps it will be torn apart and absorbed by the Andromeda galaxy by then. Or, it may join in the collision itself. Or it may collide with the Milky Way first. Or, it just may be ejected from the Local Group and go on its way toward Wherever.

It will be interesting to find out.