Did I just see andromeda??

[Tom_m7117]

Ok so I was looking in the right spot and it basically just looked like a small fuzzy blob! I have reasonable LP where I am so an wondering if this is most likely what I saw and the best I will be able to get it from a 8 inch dob?

Thanks

[knobby]

Sounds about right, its only really any better if you go somewhere dark or you could try averted vision ( look slightly off centre, the edge of your eye is better at seeing feint dark stuff)

Well done though, good find

[Biggazza88]

A blob sounds about right lol the 8inch dob should show quite a bit of detail at low power, provided your skies are dark enough. LP kills any chance of a good view so it might be worth trying again from a darker site

[Tom_m7117]

Hi knobby, yea I did do that rather than look directly at it I tried looking to the right hand side and yes it did appear better that way

[Tom_m7117]

Is there not another galaxy very close to andromeda? I'm worrying maybe it was that I was looking at and not andromeda

[John]

Messier 32 is close to M31 and looks like a small fuzzy star, much smaller than M31. M110 is also not far away, on the other side of M31, and looks like a faint oval patch of light but the moon will have almost certainly drowned it out tonight as it is much fainter than M31 and M32.

Any light pollution / moonlight really reduces even the brightest galaxies and nebulae to pale shadows of how they can appear under a really dark sky.

[Crimson Sunset]

As John said, M32 is next to the core of M31 . In your scope with a 25mm eyepiece you'd be able to fit both of them in to the same field of view.

M31 is the most obvious of the two so I think it's a fair bet that it is what you saw. I'd recommend M81 and M82 which are harder to find but they offer a much more interesting and rewarding view from a light polluted area than M31 and M32 will.

Good luck with any future galaxy hunting, with an 8" dob you can see a lot more than you would initially think!

[Tom_m7117]

John, if I had been looking at m32 would I not of stumbled across m31 as I did pan around the sky a bit and on my star map they look almost on top of each other

[Tom_m7117]

Ok thanks crimson

[ollypenrice]

It's full moon!!! Really, trying to do deep sky astronomy at this time is a non-starter, or almost. If you can see M31 in full moon at all then it will be a fine sight when it's dark.

Olly

[knobby]

It's full moon!!! Really, trying to do deep sky astronomy at this time is a non-starter, or almost. If you can see M31 in full moon at all then it will be a fine sight when it's dark.

Olly

Good point!

[Tom_m7117]

The moon was very low in the sky while I was looking at andromeda so I'm guessing that wouldn't affect it to much? Or am I mistaken?

[Biggazza88]

I saw andromeda 20 mins ago and the moon does wash it out but you can still see it, and I had to deal with heavy LP aswell! Once you've seen it once it stands out like a sore thumb so I reckon you could see it even if the Moon is high in the sky.

[John]

The moon was very low in the sky while I was looking at andromeda so I'm guessing that wouldn't affect it to much? Or am I mistaken?

It will have an effect and you won't see galaxies or nebulae at their best with any moonlight in the sky. Even the mighty Orion Nebula is reduced to just some pale traces of nebulosity with the moon about. Under a dark sky it sprawls across the eyepiece !