Trying to identify andromeda constellation

[willcastle]

Hello,

so I am pretty new to astronomy and have been spending a lot more time recently on identifying constellations. I have always had particular difficulty with andromeda. I can find the galaxy no problem but that isn’t the issue. I was just out looking at the stars and snapped a quick picture on my phone which was fortunately fairly close to what my eyes can see. I don’t have very good eyesight. 
 

there is a really distinctive parallelogram at the start of the constellation. I have attached three pictures

the first shows just the photo; the second shows the distinctive parallelogram and the third is by best guess at naming what I am seeing. With my eyesight, I can always pick out these particular stars. I’m less sure of the Triangulum star. 
 

can someone please help me work out what I am actually looking at?  

Will

[joe aguiar]

The square isn't so hard to see but it's not easy either. But also the square is pretty big in the sky maybe your trying to find a small or smallish square. 

Try again this time try looking for a very large square. 

Could also be if any light source is in your way this will dim futher the dim constellations. 

If u looking at a map in the sky it maybe 3x the size, of course the map or chart cant be to scale as appears to us or that would need to be on 2x2ft pages.

It something I got used to long ago and it helped.

So if something is like 3 inches from a star on my map since the constellations will be bigger in sky I dont aim for the same 3 inches away but more 6 to 9 inches to compensate

Hope that kinda helps

Joejaguar 

[willcastle]

3 minutes ago, joe aguiar said:

The square isn't so hard to see but it's not easy either. But also the square is pretty big in the sky maybe your trying to find a small or smallish square. 

Try again this time try looking for a very large square. 

Could also be if any light source is in your way this will dim futher the dim constellations. 

If u looking at a map in the sky it maybe 3x the size, of course the map or chart cant be to scale as appears to us or that would need to be on 2x2ft pages.

It something I got used to long ago and it helped.

So if something is like 3 inches from a star on my map since the constellations will be bigger in sky I dont aim for the same 3 inches away but more 6 to 9 inches to compensate

Hope that kinda helps

Joejaguar 

Just to clarify, this is a photo of exactly what I CAN see and I labelled it.. but I have no idea if I have labelled it correctly. The square is huge and I see it very clearly  

[vlaiv]

Yes, you are quite right with that designation. Getting stellarium on your computer can be great help with getting to know the skies.

Here is screen shot from stellarium with items you have marked:

Andromeda constellation on the other hand is real easy - at least part of it - once you learn to identify those parts - rest will be easy, but you do need to wait for summer for best view of it - now is pretty low.

You start by finding Cassiopeia - W shaped, very easy to spot - you have correctly marked it in your image - just below it - when it looks like W rather than M - you will spot 4 stars almost in line (very slight curve) - all of these stars are bright and easy to spot and sit right below W. You have named those stars correctly in your image as well - I put little arrows to those stars in my second diagram from Stellarium.

Going left to right - first star is in Perseus and is not part of Andromeda Constellation. Next three stars are in Andromeda Constellation. Above in diagram Andromeda is joined with Pegasus constellation - because they share star. Forth star in a row (third in Andromeda) is actually alpha Andromedae but also delta Pegasi. I added other lines not mapped out in Stellarium to see what other stars are also in Andromeda Constellation.

Finding Andromeda galaxy / M31 is super easy when you learn to find these four stars below Cassiopeia. Here is diagram and explanation:

I have marked 4 stars of interest - you need to identify third and "work up" towards Cassiopeia from it (let line connecting these stars be base line). Very small distance away you will find one faint star (marked with arrow) - then if you continue up about same distance as base line to this star - are two more stars (also marked) - together these four stars create sort of Y sign / or "cocktail glass" shape. M31 galaxy is "umbrella" in this cocktail glass

Once you have found Y and possible location of M31 (it might be challenging to see it even with averted vision if you have poor eyesight or have heavy light pollution) - M33 is just on the other side of "baseline" (marked as well) - about same distance away.

 

 

[willcastle]

19 hours ago, vlaiv said:

Yes, you are quite right with that designation. Getting stellarium on your computer can be great help with getting to know the skies.

Here is screen shot from stellarium with items you have marked:

Andromeda constellation on the other hand is real easy - at least part of it - once you learn to identify those parts - rest will be easy, but you do need to wait for summer for best view of it - now is pretty low.

You start by finding Cassiopeia - W shaped, very easy to spot - you have correctly marked it in your image - just below it - when it looks like W rather than M - you will spot 4 stars almost in line (very slight curve) - all of these stars are bright and easy to spot and sit right below W. You have named those stars correctly in your image as well - I put little arrows to those stars in my second diagram from Stellarium.

Going left to right - first star is in Perseus and is not part of Andromeda Constellation. Next three stars are in Andromeda Constellation. Above in diagram Andromeda is joined with Pegasus constellation - because they share star. Forth star in a row (third in Andromeda) is actually alpha Andromedae but also delta Pegasi. I added other lines not mapped out in Stellarium to see what other stars are also in Andromeda Constellation.

Finding Andromeda galaxy / M31 is super easy when you learn to find these four stars below Cassiopeia. Here is diagram and explanation:

I have marked 4 stars of interest - you need to identify third and "work up" towards Cassiopeia from it (let line connecting these stars be base line). Very small distance away you will find one faint star (marked with arrow) - then if you continue up about same distance as base line to this star - are two more stars (also marked) - together these four stars create sort of Y sign / or "cocktail glass" shape. M31 galaxy is "umbrella" in this cocktail glass

Once you have found Y and possible location of M31 (it might be challenging to see it even with averted vision if you have poor eyesight or have heavy light pollution) - M33 is just on the other side of "baseline" (marked as well) - about same distance away.

 

 

Wow that was amazing. Thanks so much. So glad I was definitely looking at the right thing. I was getting confused for two reasons

firstly, mirphak in Perseus looks like part of the andromeda constellation when looking at the sky. 

Secondly, in my star atlas, the andromeda constellation has an almost identical line right above the one I drew. See my attached picture. I didn’t know if I was actually looking at almaak and mirach, or the line above them. I’m guessing the line above is significantly fainter as I can’t really make it out clearly with just my eyes. 

As for andromeda galaxy, I seem to be able to find that relatively easily now. Where do you live again? I think you told me but I forgot. I’m in the U.K. and andromeda is almost directly over head at the moment! I think we must see it best here in the winter.