The magnitude system works quite well for quantifying the
brightness of stars. We know that a 6th magnitude star will be
barely visible to the unaided eye from rural areas, yet easily
seen in even the smallest of telescopes. The magnitude system
doesn’t work as well for deep-sky objects. Consider the spiral
galaxy M33 in Triangulum. Listed as a 6th magnitude object, it’s
notoriously difficult to view in telescopes. M33 is elusive
because its light is spread over an area four times that of the
full moon. Defocus a 6th magnitude star until it’s that large
and you’ll get the idea. Another reason why M33 is such a
demanding target is its location in a star-poor region of the
late autumn sky. I usually find it by training my telescope on
an area roughly 4 ½ degrees west and slightly north of alpha (a)
Trianguli. You can also trace an imaginary line from the
Andromeda Galaxy (M31) to the star beta (b) Andromedae, then
extend an equal distance beyond (refer to the accompanying
finder chart). In either case, begin a