Andromeda Rising

[Epick Crom]

Hi my fellow stargazers! I was in the mood for some stargazing last night (well I'm always in the mood for stargazing:). Unfortunately sky conditions were not the best, hazy with a light polluted glow. Due to no moon around, I decided this would be the night to try for the Great Andromeda Galaxy M 31 which I had never seen before.

Checking Sky Safari, M31 would be transiting at my location at 9:50pm around 16 degrees above the northern horizon. It was a case of now or never as northern constellations come and go in the blink of an eye down south.

I used Mirach (Beta Andromedae) as my starting point. While there I admired it's lovely redish colour and looked around for its "ghost" NGC 404 but no luck spotting it. I hoped to Mu Andromedae, then with baited breath scanned slowly upwards until, yes there it was! M 31 appeared in the field of view. Wow even at this low altitude ( my dob was almost horizontal and I was kneeling) it still appeared as a bright glow. A highlight of my observing career no doubt. Just beautiful. I can just imagine how nice it must appear to you people in the northern hemisphere were it's high up. I studied and observed it intently for around 15min and was able to make out of diffuse small glow near a star to the right of M 31. Thats M 32! Got two for the price of one! Just amazing. I tried to find M 110 as well but no luck.

I observed for around an hour, my entire session went to finding and observing the great Andromeda Galaxy. Totally worth it 😊. Really happy to have observed this northern showpiece. Thanks for reading and clear skies to you all.

Joe

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by Epick Crom

[Captain Scarlet]

Superb Joe! M110 should be easily doable with a clear enough night with 10" aperture and at 16 degrees up. Keep trying clear skies permitting.

Your M31 in Perth is our 47 Tuc or LMC/SMC or NGC 4755 Jewel Box. I've never seen any of these and would dearly love to!

Magnus

[Epick Crom]

Thanks Magnus for the encouragement! I will try again tonight clear skies permitting for M 110. The Jewel Box, Magellanic Clouds and 47 Tucanae are stunning Magnus! I wish you can see them someday. I yearn to see your Double Cluster, Whirlpool Galaxy, M 81 and M 82 among others. 

Joe

[jetstream]

Excellent catch!

M31 is a huge galaxy in the eyepiece and will show nice dust lanes and even a glob at the end. Naked eye, under the best of conditions here will show M31 as  elliptical with a bright core- and really quite bright.

[Epick Crom]

8 minutes ago, jetstream said:

Excellent catch!

M31 is a huge galaxy in the eyepiece and will show nice dust lanes and even a glob at the end. Naked eye, under the best of conditions here will show M31 as  elliptical with a bright core- and really quite bright.

Thanks Jetstream, ahh that globular at the end you refer to must be G1 or Mayall 2. When looking last night I thought it was within the main core but I see now that it is at the end of M 31. Will try for it!

[Geoff Barnes]

Transit of 16 degrees?. Luxury! 

Try observing M31 at my 10 degrees,  it's just about visible on a good night! 

I still get a kick out of seeing it nonetheless.  😊

Edited November 7, 2021 by Geoff Barnes

[Epick Crom]

GDay Geoff. Yeah I'm spoiled😊. You are even more south then me. Geez 10 degrees! Actually I would be able to observe even lower north if it wasn't for my neighbours house, it limits my northern view to objects +43 degrees. M 31 sure is a spectacular object. Clear skies!

[Kon]

Nice one Joe! It is always thrilling when you spot something new on the night sky. I hope it met your expectations.

[Epick Crom]

It is a thrill to spot something new Kostas! Yes M 31 actually exceeded my expectations, I wasn't expecting it to jump out like it did at the eyepiece. Very bright for a galaxy!

[Stardaze]

Super viewing Joe at that angle. Even though I’ve been spoilt with M31 at near zenith this last month, I still find it tricky to see much more than the very bright central core with little definition. It is however, so large compared to anything else.

[Epick Crom]

19 hours ago, Stardaze said:

Super viewing Joe at that angle. Even though I’ve been spoilt with M31 at near zenith this last month, I still find it tricky to see much more than the very bright central core with little definition. It is however, so large compared to anything else.

Thanks Stardaze. Yes M 31 sure is large, I was a bit taken aback by its size. What a wonderful object!