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Is andromeda galaxy really naked eye?


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Even in my 20x60 binos, it is faint. I often read its the most distant object observable to the naked eye. Uranus is also just barely bright enough to be seen with the naked eye theoretically. Both of these are WAY TOO FAINT for me to see without optical assistance. Is it just down to not having dark enough skies or is it exaggeration? 

As a rough guide, I can see the Orion nebula and one of the other 2 stars that make up the line of 3 stars with my naked eye. I cannot see the star below the Orion Nebula. This is pretty close to the faintest I am able to see.

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Even in my light polluted skies, I've been able to convince myself that I've seen some small patches of the Milky Way and maybe a little of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Of course, it may well have been "Averted imagination"

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Ah the power of the dark site..

I've picked out M31 from a dark site outside of Welshpool... along with m13 (averted vision) and I swear the haze of the double cluster..

There really is no substitute at how astounding a good dark sky and dark adapted eyes can be!

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I live on the edge of a small town in Somerset (i.e. with a moderate level of light pollution) and I can just about kid myself that I can see the Andromeda Galaxy from my garden on a clear, dark night. But even knowing where to look, it's only a very small, faint smudge - and I may, as I say, be kidding myself. I'd imagine that it would look a little more impressive from Exmoor or somewhere with much less ambient light. It does, however, look absolutely great through my telescope. So in answer to your question, I'd say that it's probably technically a naked eye object, but not really one in practice.

Simon.

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It is, but the general light pollution makes it boarderline.

Often it is easier to look at the lower of the two stars in Andromeda that are used to point to M31 and then it marginally apparent as a fuzzy something or other at the edge of your vision (referred to as averted vision).

Looking sort of "at" it means the image falls on the wrong bit of the eye for low level vision, so it disappears.

The annoying thing is a 5 or 6 year old will see it, really annoying when some 4 years old say "Oh yes that thing up there" and points straight to it.

Great the the moment, get somewhere decently dark and you can stand/sit/lie to see M31 and Perseids at the same time.

One oddity is that it take most people a while (days, weeks, months) to actually register where it is and what it looks like, then they find it within seconds any time afterwards.

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Andromeda galaxy IS a naked eye object IF you have dark skies. In my skies I can see Vega, Arcturus, Antares, Deneb Altair maybe the plough and albireo in a decent night.

In my village I have seen M8,M20,M7 with binos. My village isn't exactly dark skies. So if you can't see it, it's due to LP. 

A hint: If you want to see most galaxies even through a scope you must be able to see Milky way as most galaxies have the about the same surface brightness.

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From Dorset where I regularly go camping in late summer, it is clearly naked eye. The Milky Way streams through Cygnus right overhead showing nice structure and dark rifts. The Double Cluster is also quite doable, but M13 I find much harder. It normally needs a particularly transparent night. All assuming no moon obviously.

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It is, but the general light pollution makes it boarderline.

Often it is easier to look at the lower of the two stars in Andromeda that are used to point to M31 and then it marginally apparent as a fuzzy something or other at the edge of your vision (referred to as averted vision).

Looking sort of "at" it means the image falls on the wrong bit of the eye for low level vision, so it disappears.

The annoying thing is a 5 or 6 year old will see it, really annoying when some 4 years old say "Oh yes that thing up there" and points straight to it.

Great the the moment, get somewhere decently dark and you can stand/sit/lie to see M31 and Perseids at the same time.

One oddity is that it take most people a while (days, weeks, months) to actually register where it is and what it looks like, then they find it within seconds any time afterwards.

LPed skies here. Cannot see the milky way. There have been rare exceptions and I can make out what I believe is our galaxy. Iirc it passes right through Cassiopeia. I have had reasonable views of M81 and M82 in my scope. M101 I have tried without a shred of success.

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My skies are not perfect by any means but I can certainly see M31 with the naked eye on a decently dark night. It's an elongated smuge of light as others have mentioned but it's definitely there.

Sorry if you feel that people might be exaggerating - I've no reason to do so and I can't see why anyone else posting on the forum would either :icon_scratch:

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From Dorset where I regularly go camping in late summer, it is clearly naked eye. The Milky Way streams through Cygnus right overhead showing nice structure and dark rifts. The Double Cluster is also quite doable, but M13 I find much harder. It normally needs a particularly transparent night. All assuming no moon obviously.

That's a relief, was doubting myself since posting that!

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Yes as stated really, from a dark sky, when positioned high, with dark adaption and good transparency, is visible with the naked eye, though I find I need a touch of averted vision. Probably  good to become accustomed with a binocular view first and then gain familiarity optically unaided.

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My son and I went out last Friday night to a dark site (Brecon Beacons) I had set the camera up and casually observing the sky through my binos when I hit on the fuzzball soon as I took the binos away I could still see a feint fuzzy ball, I pointed it out to him explaing that it was Andromeda and he could see it clearly also. I handed him the binos to have a look and he went straight to it so he obviously could see it with the naked eye. When we got back to home mind it was impossible. Fantastic night and something I will always remember.

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My skies are not perfect by any means but I can certainly see M31 with the naked eye on a decently dark night. It's an elongated smuge of light as others have mentioned but it's definitely there.

Sorry if you feel that people might be exaggerating - I've no reason to do so and I can't see why anyone else posting on the forum would either :icon_scratch:

I didnt mean posters on this site could have been exaggerating. It was mentioned in books I often read on astronomy. I dont think I realise just how bright my sky is. What I need to do is find a remote campsite and take my binos (I only ride a motorcycle). Low mag works best for nebula and galaxies anyway.

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I know where you coming from I have been there myself, sometimes typing dosnt express what you mean. I have shown my neighbours jupitor through my scope and get the "is that it!" with the look of dissapointment lol, they just dont get the distances involved

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A dark sky is necessary, knowing where to look and what you expect to see will play a part as well. I can see it fairly often from really sub optimal skies. From a dark site it is quite apparent and as Mark said, you can see M33 as well, which is a little bit further away.

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I didnt mean posters on this site could have been exaggerating. It was mentioned in books I often read on astronomy. I dont think I realise just how bright my sky is. What I need to do is find a remote campsite and take my binos (I only ride a motorcycle). Low mag works best for nebula and galaxies anyway.

You can test your sky by excercises such as seeing if you can see all 4 stars in the "square" of Ursa Minor and counting how many stars you can see in the square of Pegasus. You can interpret the results here:

http://freestarcharts.com/stars/17-guides/stars/17-how-dark-are-your-night-skies

I thought my skies were good here until I spent a few clear nights in Herefordshire where we hold the SGL star party. And the skies at Kelling Heath are reputed to be darker still ....

At the SGL star party one year I took along a 6" newt which performed on DSO's there at least as well as my 10" did at home.

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