September 2006 - M31

[MartinB]

Thank you for suggestions for September. Kain's comet suggestion is good as far as worthwhile and challenging targets go. M45 and M3 will have there day but I don't think they are the most convenient targets in September. So I have autocratically chosen M31.

This is our neighbouring galaxy 2 million light years away. It is just visible with the naked eye in dark skies and is big.

Please report what you can and can't see. Give details of conditions - seeing transparency and light pollution etc. Obviously scope details are essential. Reports with binoculars or even naked eye would be interesting.

It is a difficult target through a scope because of its size so will be interesting to hear what equipment provides the best views. M31 has very prominent dust lanes. Let us know whether you are able to make these out.

[Greg]

The sky is clear and believe it or not I have never seen M31 in a pair of bins!

So tonight the bins are on my pod sat on the patio...I will have a short observing window for this target as it's between the garage and an oak tree for a short time. So I'll give it a go and report back later..

Could be a garden chair, bottle of Ruby Cabernet and the 10X50's tonight!

Greg

[MartinB]

Good luck Greg!

[Greg]

First of all apologies for the delay in getting back with this report.

I studied M31 over a period of 4 nights using different scopes and my trusty 10X50's.

Last night gave the best views due to excellent seeing conditions. I came home from work early and set up the scopes! (On nights at the moment!)

Monday 25th September 2006

2030 - 2115hrs (Before work)

Location. Cadbury

Seeing 9/10

Transparency 9/10

Temp. 12C

No light pollution.

Just before going to work I got the bino's out and put them on the tripod. M31 could be seen as a medium size smudge in the field of view, using averted vision it became clearer and more defined with the center showing a great deal more brightness. As a test I called the wife out to look and asked her what she saw.

"A big smudge with a white center" Was the reply. The two satellite galaxies M32 and M110 were not visible in the 10X50's

As the sky darkened and my eyes adapted the galaxy was just visible with the naked eye using averted vision.

The Starry Night view gives a true representation although in reality not as clear.

After returning home from work at 0200am the seeing was breathtaking possibly the best I have seen since I have lived here.

Instrument Used. Helios 120 refractor. ED80 Piggy backed

Using the 40mm Eyepiece in the 120mm (25X Mag) I was unable to get the whole galaxy in the eyepiece!

The 40mm eyepiece in the ED80 gave the best view (15X Mag.). The whole galaxy fitted in the eyepiece along with M110 and M32.

A slight "Clouding" was seen (Posibly dust lanes?)

The best image out of several taken over a period of two to three hours.

Greg

[MartinB]

Thanks Greg, that's an informative report and an excellent image. So with excellent seeing and transparency and a 120mm scope it might just be possible to make out some dust lanes. Would be interesting to get some comparisons with more aperture.

[OXO]

Excellent Report Greg enjoyed reading it and a lovely image too

James

[daz]

Excellent report Greg!

[FLO]

Nice one Greg 8)

[Kain]

Well I know it's abit late, but I forgot all about it!

3/10/06 at about 2 in the morning I was out with the scope ready for Orion.

I had a look at M31 and it was the best I had ever seen it. The dust lanes were visible though a 26mm EP (2") and it filled up the entire FoV.

Most impressive was M110. I could clearly see it was tilted, and the misty patch which would be the arms/dust lanes was very prominent and a nice proud core.

Seeing was very good. No wobbling of the atmosphere, everything was calm.

Best few ever of the system.

Kain

[MartinB]

Thanks Kain, that's a very useful report. Not too late at all. I presume you were using the 10" dob.

[Kain]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention I was using the dob.

Kain

[Astroman]

Here's my report from September 22. For some reason, I didn't see a "reply" button on this thread earlier, nor did the Quick Reply box appear. I filed this previously in Deep Sky reports. Sorry for the duplication.

Clear, darks steady skies Friday night, September 22, 2006 9:30pm local time. Temperature ~30ºC, wind ~10 kph gusting slightly. (This is where the dome helps, especially when the target is east and the wind is from the west )

Scope:10" F/5.6 on ancient Cave mount.

I observed M31 with ease with the unaided eye before lining up the scope. Loomed very large in the finder scope. The 32mm Plossl gives 44.5X. Roughly 1/3 of the galaxy is visible at this power, so I sweep back and forth along the major axis to observe M31. It is a very large, very bright galaxy, seen in nearly isometric relief. Elongated NE to SW. Very bright mottled, resolvable core, with distinct structure away from the core. Two satellite galaxies, M32 and M110 are easy at 1:00 and 7:00 positions, respectively in the Newtonian inverted FOV. Details and dust lanes in M31 are subtle, but visible with averted vision and deep dark adaptation. (I spent 1/2 hour in the dome with all the lights out, staring at the floor before climbing the ladder.) Spiral arms are also visible in M110 as mottling, as is the core of M31. Cranking up the power to 189X with the 7.5mm reveals G1 and G2-globular clusters in M31 located about 1/2 galaxy diameter to the southwest of the core. This was my first attempt at G1 and G2. G1 was visible as an extended star, but I failed to see G2. Too dim perhaps, but it should be within reach.

M31 is a magnificent galaxy when seen and studied from a dark site. Time must be taken to observe it properly. If your skies are not too dark, or if nearby lights intrude, a dark cloth hood over your head to block it can't be recommended highly enough. Give yourself time to dark adapt, you'll be rewarded for the extra effort. It may seem silly to do all this to see such a close, bright object, but, as I always say, the more you look, the more you'll see.

Cheers.

[MartinB]

A superb detailed and useful report AM Many thanks.

[moondog]

Since the time's been extended, here's my report dated 9 October on M31 :-

Set up 8-00pm BST. Revelation 80ED scope on HEQ5 mount.

Wanted to get M31 Andromeda before moon came up.

The sky around M31 was mid purple/ grey colour since it was not quite dark. Reasonable seeing conditions, with a few high vapour trails.

Started with the TAL 25mm SP @ 22x. M31 appeared as a grey/bluish elliptical blob. There are not many visible stars in the area, never mind any bright ones.

Changed to the 15mm Vixen Lanthanum @ 37x. Immediately the shape of the galaxy became more resolved (my eyes were also adapting). Swapped for the 9mm Lanth, but the view was not as nice. Changed back to the 15mm Lanth and tried it with the Astronomik CLS filter.This made the view worse so removed the filter.

I put a dark cloth over my head to cut out the small amount of local light and really concentrated on M31 as I was obviously using the best EP for the session.

Using averted vision I made out the bright white nuclear core and surrounding bluish misty elliptical shape. Couldn’t see any spiral arms or detail though. Picked up the circular white blob of M32 to the South East of Andromeda. It seemed to be quite a long way away but I’m sure it must have been M32. It was pretty faint compared with M31.

Could see the moon glow affecting the sky so packed in at 8-45pm.

MD

[MartinB]

Thanks a lot MD. You were up against it with the moon, it wasn't that far away from M31. Another really helpful report.

Keep them coming everyone.

[mark RD]

I know it,s a bit late but here goes,

First clear night in a good while who would have though it would clear after all the rain we had not more than 2 hours ago

Small trip to Paxton nature reserve which is just out side of St neots Armed with my 80mm Richfield , the sky is quite

dark, the milky way is reasonably pronounced up above Started of with M57 which after a few minutes I found quite easy even

though the sky was not completely dark yet next off was the double cluster which look very fine. About that time M45 had just

come in to view So that got a look in.By this time it was getting very dark so I decided to go for M31, At low magnification 32mm

I could see a smallish smug which was unmistakable stepping up the power adding the 2x barlow I could just start to see the

shape forming. I went round all the objects I had looked at again as it was now completely dark by the time I got back to the

double and M31 they where both naked eye objects, That was the first time I have seen M31.

[Zeffer]

Had a go at this last night at about 12:15am - lovely dark skies and quite stable - I guess this means the seeing was good but I don't really understand this. Location: between Solihull and Coventry.

Used (of course) the NS8 GPS and a 40mm Axiom (70 degree FOV).

The galaxy showed up very well as an elliptical misty smudge. After a while getting used to the view it became very clear although still like a smudge of bluish ink in the sky. The dark sky really helped as the contrast was superb.

To the lower right of the image M32 was also clearly visible (a first time view for me) - the FOV is superb on that lens. This was very much smaller in the EP but a similar shape and colour.

Could just pick out M110 but with no detail at all - I think I rushed though as I was so impressed with M32!

[MartinB]

Thanks Zef, that's a very helpful report

[CELESCOPE]

nice report there Justin , made it sound very interesting , have to try this myself when i get the new scope up and running

Rog