Globular clusters in M31

[Avdhoeven]

This image taken with my 9cm refractor telescope has tiny extra's I took this image during the past year using a cooled CCD camera (QSI583) and a 9,2 cm refractor (TMB92) during a number of dark nights.

For this image 9,6 hours of data were taken:

Exposures:

19x300s L

3x300s B

9x300s R,G

9x900s Ha ; 12x1200s Ha

Total: 9,6 hours

When doing some research I found that it is possible to see globular clusters, like we know in our own galaxy, that are mainly located in the Galactic Halo, in M31.

This images gives an overview of some of the brightest globulars that can be found and are a nice challenge for imaging but also for visual observation.

Globular clusters in the Andromeda Galaxy by Andre van der Hoeven, on Flickr

[Highburymark]

Avdhoeven - Amazing image of M31, thanks for posting.

I have always been fascinated by globular clusters, (though never had the telescope/dark skies to really resolve them into stars). But I had no idea that it was possible to observe them outside our own galaxy (ie without a camera). What sort of telescope would be required to see them around M31?

[Avdhoeven]

I understood the brightest one can already be seen with a 6-8" telescope...

[laudropb]

Very nice presentation. I have tried to see them from my dark sky site but have never succeed in recognising any. Must try again.

[wimvb]

Prachtige foto, André!

Never saw so much detail in Andromeda. Thanks for sharing

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Thanks for putting this together. I used this to check against my M31 image shot the other day with a 200mm lens, some of the brighter ones are showing up which I wouldn't have thought possible.

[callisto]

Great image.......I have managed to bag a few of these globulars  with my 10" dob 

[Highburymark]

Very nice presentation. I have tried to see them from my dark sky site but have never succeed in recognising any. Must try again.

Laudropb - what would you be looking for? Having no experience of M31 beyond the familiar milky glow, I cant imagine what a globular would look like at that distance - ie how could you distinguish it from all the other points of light?

If you succeed at you dark sky site, I might have to get down to Euston and book a ticket on the next train to Glasgow.

[Starfisher]

nice done and so much Globals in it .

[symesie04]

fantastic work

[Ouroboros]

My oh my! What a fantastic image. Makes me almost want to give up.

[Stub Mandrel]

That's a brilliantly clear image. Like K.O.C.S. I have just spent a happy time spotting tiny smudges where some of your bright clear dots are on my own M31.

[Avdhoeven]

Thank you all very much! 

Ouroboros: Just never give up! I think the same when I see some other images. There's always somebody somewhere that can do it much better. That makes a challenge I always say...

[Stub Mandrel]

Avdhoeven, you have inspired me to produce this for my own image, using yours as a guide. It may be a little over-optimistic in parts, but I enjoyed chasing down the little dots. A bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle. Where do you get the cluster numbers from?

[Avdhoeven]

I found the numbers one time somewhere in a database (I would really need to look that up). I used the image that I made then to locate them now.