| Name | Great Andromeda Galaxy |
| Designation(s) | M 31, NGC224 |
| Object Type(s) | Galaxy |
| Relevant Catalog(s) | All (Chron), Messier, NGC |
| Obs. Lat/Long | 42° 17', 073° 57' |
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Date and Time Observed | 2023-11-16 08:02:00 |
| Instrument | Askar V 60mm objective with reducer, 270mm focal length |
| Camera | ASI294mc-Pro |
| Image Details | Up is 205.6 degrees E of N. Transparency: Good. Seeing: Good. Total integration time was 30m. Exposures 30s@305g, UV/IR Cut Filter. Darks subtracted, no flats in SharpCap. No guiding. |
| Description | Messier recorded this target on August 3, 1764 attributing discovery to Simon Marius, who'd described a telescopic observation in 1612. Neither was aware that the Persian astronomer Abd-al-Rahman Al-Sufi, had recorded the "little cloud" in his Book of Fixed Stars in 964 AD [messier.seds.org]. <--> This is a stunning spiral galaxy with two close companions: M110 in the foreground, and M32 just peeking over the disk. The brightest section is the galactic center and is presumably the only section Messier could see -- he measured the diameter at 40' whereas modern measurement puts the size at 178' x 70'. This is a target I've observed dozens of times: when it's visible, it's by far the most popular star party EAA target. It rewards all levels of integration from 60s to hundreds of hours. This is one of my favorites, captured on a beautiful clear November night. The 30m integration in this view, provides a decent perspective on the full extent of the galaxy, and enables the dust lanes to be clearly visible. I have attempted longer captures, but this remains my favorite due to the clarity of the night. |
| Related Observations | M110 (3) M31 (3) M32 (2) |
| Catalog Links | |
