If we could see what our scopes see....

[69boss302]

I know this really has nothing to do with anything but I thought Id share anyway. Of all the shots I took in 2021 this one is one of my favorites because it puts things into perspective. This is a single shot.  I was shooting Andromeda, and tracking it with my EQ6R Pro. I was tracking it a little bit too long and got a piece of the house in the frame. It really made me think of what if we could really see whats in the night sky? This shot really put it in perspective for me.

[Kon]

I really like this shot and as you say it puts into perspective especially the size of Andromeda; I have seen it with my Dob several times but not in this context of the night sky. The are several more DSOs that are also very large and the nightscape composites that some APs are doing also give you a feeling of the vastness. Thanks for sharing this capture.

[Sunshine]

It is cool! you hardly ever see shots of objects with something in the foreground except wide field but then Andromeda would be a smudge anyway, this is different.

[saac]

That is a really captivating shot; I've never seen a frame like that, really cool.

Jim 

[John]

That's a nice and interesting image

Sometime back Tom Buckley-Houston produced this composite image which shows what Messier 31 might look like compared with the moon, if we could see it's full extent with the naked eye. I think the galaxy is perhaps a little oversized but apparently it's quite close to being correct:

 

 

Edited January 3, 2022 by John

[69boss302]

10 minutes ago, John said:

Sometime back Tom Buckley-Houston produced this composite image which shows what Messier 31 might look like compared with the moon, if we could see it's full extent with the naked eye. I think the galaxy is perhaps a little oversized but apparently it's quite close to being correct:

Thats a cool shot too! I just started astrohphograhphy but some years down the line maybe Ill need to put all my dso shots together into a sky panorama. That would be neat!

 

[Nicola Fletcher]

What a great photo - thank you for posting it!

I’ve been popping outside on semi-clear nights, that aren’t clear enough to justify setting up a scope, with my new binoculars and I didn’t quite believe the extent of Andromeda that my eyes were telling me is there. This has properly convinced me that it it really is that big!

[Neil H]

Hi really great photo I am glad we can't see what our telescopes see as it would make driving very interesting as you will only see the car in front of it's a mile away , may be we can as it will explain some of the parking I see 

[maw lod qan]

That is an excellent image.

[F15Rules]

Great picture, and really brings perspective to the size of our Local Group's largest galaxy 👍.

Lovely view of the nearby companions too. Thanks for sharing

Dave

[Carbon Brush]

Great pictures. Thank you for posting.

M31 is of course a naked eye object if.......
Negligible light pollution.
A clear sky.
Mk1 eyeball in good working order.

I read somewhere (sorry can't recall where) that the pre-telescope arab astronomers called it 'cloud moon' or maybe 'moon cloud'
On account of it being so big and cloudy.
I'm sure someone will know the details and put me right😁

[Astro_Dad]

Sometimes you see an image that really stands out - of all the shots of Andromeda I’ve seen this one for me was really worth commenting on - fascinating perspective. Great shot. 

[69boss302]

8 hours ago, Astro_Dad said:

Sometimes you see an image that really stands out - of all the shots of Andromeda I’ve seen this one for me was really worth commenting on - fascinating perspective. Great shot. 

Thank you for the kind words!

 

[FinleyChambers]

It makes me feel so small when I see an image on the back of my camera of 2 galaxies then I look up to where I’m pointed and just emptiness with stars. It’s amazing. This shot is so good

[niallk]

Fantastic image!  Frame that on your wall 😉

One of my most memorable views from the 'gold tier' dark sky reserve in Ballinskellig, Kerry - swigging from a can of beer at 4am.  The clouds cleared and wow: Andromeda naked eye was HUGE.  Awe inspiring.