Andromeda ... Where are you??

[Maged]

Hi ,

I'm about to complete my 2nd month since I started looking at the sky with a telescope. Since I started I was trying to locate Andromeda Galaxy but all my tries were not successful. Is it a hard target to locate? or is it lack of experience?

I have watched many youtube guides and read many articles on how to locate Andromeda  and I believe I am looking at the right part of the sky but still didn't see it! I am using Cassiopeia constellation as a guide to look in the right direction.

Can you please advise?

Thanks 

[carastro]

It's not an easy time of the year to find it as it is low in the west and probably washed out by the twilight sky.  I'd wait until it's better placed.

Take a look at Stellarium (free download).

Carole 

[damnut]

Once you know where it is you will find it every time Start off with a pair of binos. Don't expect a hubble view you will see a faint grey and white image. When using a telescope start off with low power, let your eyes get adjusted before going to a higher power.

If you have not got any books to help try 'turn left at orion' and 'sky&telesccpe pocket star atlas' also  do download Stellarium as advised above to be found here :--- http://www.stellarium.org/   ... Also have a look at http://www.12dstring.me.uk/fov.htm

[Charic]

I too use Cassiopeia, this is my guide map?

You should be able to enlarge the image, and as reported, once you find it once, its easier the next time?

[Maged]

It said I don't have permission to open the image

[Charic]

Adjusted my settings...try again

[damnut]

Try This. screenshot from stellarium.

[Maged]

Thanks for all the replies, I will have to try again

[Stu]

There's some useful info in this thread:

http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php?/topic/202096-I-finally-found-Andromeda%21

This is the star hop I use, from the square of Pegasus, across to Mirach then 'up' from there.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01ftxf6/p01fttxm

[ottUp]

Apologies for suggesting this, but you did say you're quite new at this.  You understand that you will not see any kind of spiral structure such as you've seen in photos, right?  What you'll see in a small telescope is a round, dim, fuzzy splotch of light, nothing more.

Something like this: k

With really good conditions and experience, you will see more of the halo, and will eventually be able to detect two satellite galaxies, something like this:

- RIchard

[ottUp]

Oops, hit "save" too soon.  I meant to add:

M31 is huge, so use the lowest-power, widest-field setup you can: a very low-power eyepiece (like a 22mm or 30mm).  Even a magnifying finder or low-power binoculars.  If you use too much magnification you'll see nothing because you won't have enough of a field of view to see the edges of the light from the core.

- R

[Maged]

Thanks Richard, that was so helpful, I will definitely consider that. 

I use 32mm eyepiece on my telescope (4" and F8.5) I think this eyepiece will be ok right?

[Maged]

There's some useful info in this thread:

http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php?/topic/202096-I-finally-found-Andromeda%21

This is the star hop I use, from the square of Pegasus, across to Mirach then 'up' from there.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01ftxf6/p01fttxm

Thanks for the links, they are great