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I need an idiots guide to Andromeda!


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Not that I have to say, because my terms in this text will say for itself, but I’m a complete newbie to stargazing. 

In my belief, to navigate to andromeda you find the box (which I’ve learned is Pegasus but it’s upside down to me in the night sky), then there’s 2 arms that come off the left hand side (remember he’s upside down to me). If you go to the third star along the bottom arm, and then jump up to the third star on the above arm. 

So my question is...

is andromeda about as far away from the third star on the above arm as it is away from the third star on the bottom arm? And maybe slightly to the left rather than directly above? 

 

Sorry for the mess of a question x

ps I know it also lines up with the bottom right hand point of the W constellation... I think...

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Just eyes at the moment. Will a celestron 70az pick much more up do you think? 

And going from that map, I think Pegasus is mainly out of view but if I’m looking at what I think is the 2 arms coming off, then I think I have the answer to my question!

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All observations will be better with a dark sky   ( eg. least amount of light pollution and no visible Moon).

Those phone apps for locating astronomical objects are pretty good as well to get you started.

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It is doable but difficult with just eyes. Relatively easy with a pair of 10x50s, stands out quite nicely in a 250mm dob (though the whole galaxy doesn't fit in the fov).

Darker skies always help. Remember that no telescope can see through light pollution!

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23 minutes ago, Skipper Billy said:

If you haven't already got it I would strongly suggest downloading Stellarium - its free and absolutely invaluable for finding you way around the night sky.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/stellarium/ 

IIRC it can also take screenshots in negative format, so you can effectively use it to print out "directions"?

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2 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

I find Andromeda using Cassiopiea, you mentioned that in your post!  Once youve found it a few times, it'll get embedded in your memory!

 

Good luck!

 

image.thumb.png.9357d4a7697be856d4c89c1fda4678f7.png

 

This is what I wanted to see! I definitely saw it last night, just! 

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3 hours ago, Craney said:

All observations will be better with a dark sky   ( eg. least amount of light pollution and no visible Moon).

Those phone apps for locating astronomical objects are pretty good as well to get you started.

I live in the countryside so finding a dark area is never a problem! 

Ive played about with apps and just have one now. I think it’s called Night Sky and although it’s not always perfect, there’s an option to fine tune it so that works pretty well but andromeda just seemed too small to get the accuracy I needed! 

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5 minutes ago, Lemon surprise said:

I live in the countryside so finding a dark area is never a problem!

In that case it might be fairly easy to see once you know where to look... and what to look for.

I might advise you to use averted vision once you find the spot where M31 should be. Looking directly at it might make it somewhat harder to see since the middle of our vision is very sharp but less sensitive to light. If you focus on where M31 should be while pointing your eyes slightly above that point it might be easier to see. It sounds a bit strange but it works!

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2 minutes ago, pipnina said:

In that case it might be fairly easy to see once you know where to look... and what to look for.

I might advise you to use averted vision once you find the spot where M31 should be. Looking directly at it might make it somewhat harder to see since the middle of our vision is very sharp but less sensitive to light. If you focus on where M31 should be while pointing your eyes slightly above that point it might be easier to see. It sounds a bit strange but it works!

This makes so much sense now. Last night I kept saying to my other half how I kept seeing it when I looked away and looked back but only for a second. I’ll remember that! Thank you! 

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5 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

I find Andromeda using Cassiopiea, you mentioned that in your post!  Once youve found it a few times, it'll get embedded in your memory!

I think this is a good way too.  Once you get used to it then either working from Cassiopiea or Pegasus is pretty straightforward, but to my way of thinking Cass is easier to find and work from when you're not that familiar with the constellations, especially as it's really simple to find Ursa Major and from there to step to Polaris (by following a line "up" from the two stars of the side of the "pan" opposite the "handle" to the first bright star), at which point it's easy just to look around to find the "W" of Cassiopiea.

James

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Great advice already. I’ve always found the hop from the Alpheratz easiest, and this is the hop I use.

Averted vision is definitely very useful when trying to spot it

C78D3D59-CFA5-464C-BA0C-C928F5435BEA.jpeg

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7 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

I find Andromeda using Cassiopiea, you mentioned that in your post!  Once youve found it a few times, it'll get embedded in your memory!

 

Good luck!

 

image.thumb.png.9357d4a7697be856d4c89c1fda4678f7.png

 

I use Cassi also for finding it. On good night though, Andromeda is naked eye from my garden. Never anything but a faint fuzzy though. I could venture 5 mins up the road to darker skies and get a better view, but i like observing from my back garden (there's wildlife outside of my garden).

LOL.

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On 03/08/2018 at 19:15, Stu said:

Great advice already. I’ve always found the hop from the Alpheratz easiest, and this is the hop I use.

Averted vision is definitely very useful when trying to spot it

C78D3D59-CFA5-464C-BA0C-C928F5435BEA.jpeg

This is exactly what I meant by the big box with 2 arms coming off the left! 

I’m only just learning constellations so star names are a long way off! 

Thank you!

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8 minutes ago, Lemon surprise said:

I’m only just learning constellations so star names are a long way off!

I've been doing this for nearly 4 years, still don't know the names of most major stars :)

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I've been doing this for nearly 4 years, still don't know the names of most major stars :)

About 19 years for me, and still have to look up names of many of them. I know where they are and which constellation and where many Deep Sky Objects are etc, but learning the names of stars has never come easily to me so I don't let it worry me. That's what Skysafari is for ;)

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A digital cheatsheet for the adjacent systems I use on occasion, Andy is a favorite target of mine so this thread was hard to resist. Best of luck with your stargazing Lemon Surprise ?

3_Solar_Interstellar_Neighborhood_ELitU1-1200x1200_1533790153567.jpg

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One thing to remember.

Probably 99% of the population have never seen Andromeda. So you are already in an elite group! 

Most people just don't look at the sky.

I have had a few 'wow' comments from people after guiding them to it for the first time.

 

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When many of us started out it was suggested we got the book "Turn Left at Orion" if anything can be classed as an idiots guide in this hobby this can.
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/turn-left-at-orion-book.html

@Lemon surprise I spent many happy summer holidays in Deal at my Grandmother's, plenty of dark sky down at the beach looking over the sea.

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