I think I found Andromeda

[creatureofhabit]

I was at work and they started tripping pipe so, I was sitting there staring at the walls and then I remember about the scope I have in my truck so I decided to go see what I could see. I started out with the moon which was beautiful as always. Then I paned to the south and up a little bit and there was Jupiter it wasn’t as big as I was hoping and I couldn’t see the big red spot, but I could plainly see the upper red band. After staring at Jupiter and her four moons for what felt like 20 are 30 minutes. I went back inside and opened up Stellarium to see what else was up in the southeastern sky. I decided on trying to find Andromeda. I went back outside found the “Big Box” of Pegasus and went due east searched around for a little bit and there it was … at least I think it was it all I saw was a fuzzy blue spot that I couldn’t focus on but I’m sure it was it cause all the stars around it was in the same place as on Stellarium. This was the first time I ever found anything other than Jupiter. I think it was a good night as for as stargazing

[barkis]

The Andromeda Spiral Galaxy will look better when the moon is not in the sky. Moonlight washes faint object out.

When the moon is out of the way, and you locate it again in your scope, look with your naked eye in the direction your telescope is pointing. You should be able to see the patch of light that is M31

The Andromeda Galaxy.

Ron.

[brantuk]

Andromeda is visible almost naked eye, deffo in binocs, and a cert in a telescope. But only as a fuzzy patch.

Its diagonally just beyond the top left corner of the great square of pegasus. Starting at that corner hop along two stars to the left in a wide upward arc, then up to the right at 90 degrees from the second one.

If that's where you were looking then you were bang on - great stuff

[creatureofhabit]

The big box of Pegasus is cocked at a little bit of an angle with one star pointing due east. I went east from that star and did a little zig zag motion thing until I found it but basically it sounds like what you had said and I’m using a 60mm x 20mm spotting scope. I was really hoping to see it better than I did.

[brantuk]

Yes - it's easy to expect a lot from telescopes when we see all the nice glossy pictures in magazines and on the net. Alas, even in my 300P it's still a fuzzy - though maybe a little larger with a bit more shape and contrast than a smaller scope.

Andromeda's a favourite galaxy for first time long exposure pictures - hope to do that myself this autumn at Kelling.

Try looking for clusters (open and closed), double stars, and soon coming up the Orion Nebula. Half the fun is in the hunt and you've made a great start

[Talitha]

Yep, you nailed it... there's nothing else like it in that area.

[LukeSkywatcher]

and soon coming up the Orion Nebula.

Its always music to my ears/eyes when people start mentioning the fact that Orion is just around the corner.

[yeti monster]

Tripping pipe you say! On a drilling rig are you?