Andromeda's actual size if it was brighter

[Svenito]

I found this image, I didn't make it. I assume though that the original author didn't misjudge the size?

[BritAngler]

That's about right, 6 moon diameters across.

[Svenito]

That's about right, 6 moon diameters across.

In that case I do wish it were brighter. It would make a fantastic addition to the night sky

[Alien 13]

This picture does explain though the meaning of wide angle DSO imaging love it.

It is a pain to find the 1st time for any newbie  makes you wonder why.

Alan

[Tinker1947]

Now that would be a lovely sight on a cloudless night....

[ronin]

In that case I do wish it were brighter. It would make a fantastic addition to the night sky

Wait around for 2 or 3 billion years and it will be brighter, also bigger.

[ScottS]

Wait around for 2 or 3 billion years and it will be brighter, also bigger.

Cool. I'll set my alarm clock then.

[Beulah]

In that case I do wish it were brighter. It would make a fantastic addition to the night sky

Absolutely!! How would it look though a modest sized newt?!

[tenbyfifty]

interesting pic. cheers.

i s'pose there's a view like that somewhere in the universe.

[Tinker1947]

Maybe some of our wildlife can see it like that, Owl's would they have the right type of vision......

[Stu]

This shows the comparison a little more directly.

Get a nice widefield refractor under a really dark sky and you can begin to see the full extent of it.

Stu

[Alien 13]

Maybe some of our wildlife can see it like that, Owl's would they have the right type of vision......

Ive always wondered that i know that my dog allways looks up at it.

[Steve Ward]

That's why it's a much better target for a 15x70 binocular than any telescope ...   

[Stu]

That's why it's a much better target for a 15x70 binocular than any telescope ...

Looks pretty good in a 4" apo Steve with a 3.7 degree fov :-)

Stu

[Steve Ward]

Fair comment sir ... 

I guess it's being able to use both eyes that gives me a better view than with a scope ... ?

[Stu]

Fair comment sir ...

I guess it's being able to use both eyes that gives me a better view than with a scope ... ?

Yes, that may well be true. Not tried 15x70's I must admit. Binoviewers tend to struggle with lower power views so binoculars are a good option and easier to get under dark sky.

31t5 in my 106mm is quite relaxing to view with though.

Stu

[Treeden]

It is a very nice picture indeed, but I could spend my whole life gazing upon the beauty in the night sky and never see it all.  There is no time to wish for things to be different.

[swamp thing]

I personally think the andromeda galaxy offers a lot to all sized optics, if ones site is dark enough.

For the overall galaxy a pair of 15x70 bins or RFT are best, but to follow the dust lanes as they spiral around it is the haven of bigger scopes. Picking out the delicate structure inside the dust lanes needs even bigger glass still.

All these views are spectacular and very rewarding to anybody willing to get to really dark skies.

[Sandancer10]

Is there anywhere on the web that gives you a comparison of size such as this?  I find this very useful to decide which FOV kit I should be using.

[Steve Ward]

Give the Ocular Plug-in in Stellarium , easy to configure and lets you load all your scopes , bins , cameras and eyepieces in so you can see quickly which combo works best for a given target.

Good tutorial here ...

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_KnCxm98eI

[Sandancer10]

Give the Ocular Plug-in in Stellarium , easy to configure and lets you load all your scopes , bins , cameras and eyepieces in so you can see quickly which combo works best for a given target.

Good tutorial here ...

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_KnCxm98eI

Thanks Steve, that's a really good tutorial and I will configure Stellarium to include this. I feel like another hurdle over and I'm making progress albeit slowly as there is so much to learn. 

[Naemeth]

That's why it's a much better target for a 15x70 binocular than any telescope ...   

Looks great from a dark site with my 4.08 degrees from my smallest scope (66mm), but you would also get that large FOV with the Espirit as it has 400mm focal length .

[laser_jock99]

I find our own Galaxy is actually far  more impressive.........

At this scale the moon would appear as a small dot.

[Beulah]

I find our own Galaxy is actually far  more impressive.........

At this scale the moon would appear as a small dot.

That's definitely not one of yours, LJ - you can't see that 'fuzzy blob' on the lower right of the image from your latitude... Shame the LMC isn't in the image.

[laser_jock99]

That's definitely not one of yours, LJ - you can't see that 'fuzzy blob' on the lower right of the image from your latitude... Shame the LMC isn't in the image.

Borrowed from APOD I'm afraid. The UK horizon cuts off our view about halfway across