Finding M31 (not the Motorway)

[MJP]

I'm fairly new to stargazing but tonight was clear enough to get good views of the moon etc.

I have always wanted to see Andromeda. It seems like it should be easy. Find Cassiopea then drop down a bit. (I should explain I am observing from a Town Centre site with a 120mm refractor.) I find Cassiopea with naked eye observation (with spectacles), line up the scope, look through the finder scope - where is Cassiopea? I now have about 25 stars instead of the 5ish of Cassiopea. Look through the main scope I now have maybe 50 stars. Move down a bit, lots of stars, nothing fuzzy. Look back with the naked eye and I can see none of the stars I am seeing in the scope. They are not on my Planisphere either.

Is this a common problem? Does anyone have a simple answer?

I do have a much smaller Celestron scope with "go to" (I got it for £30 in a camera shop - they had lost the battery carrier and said the electronics did not work - it was just one wire that was loose!) but I'm not sure it will show me as much as my main scope. I had wondered about using the go to mount for the larger scope but Celestron advised against this.

All help and advice will be gratefully received.

Mike

[benjy85pb]

I had this problem the first time I tried finding M31. However I soon found the solution in stellarium (free stellarium software that you can download).

What you should really be looking for is the Andromeda constellation itself, which is itself attached to the Pegasus constellation. When you have identified the constellation, identify the star Mirach and then follow the three stars of the constellation upwards as they pretty much point to M31. Its easy to see what I mean when you've taken a good look at the stellarium software.

[haitch]

M31 is huge so you'll need a widefield to fit it in. I can see it with 50mm binoculars from my back garden but it is faint and washes out easily in light pollution or moonlight

[robhal9000]

Hi,

It is pretty busy up around Cassiopea:-). I would use the goto scope to find M31. If you want to find it manually you would be better going up from Mirach (beta And) than down from Cass.

Have you tried Stellarium planetarium software, it may give you a better idea of the 'lay of the land' . I see Stellarium has been mentioned already as has Mirach

[barkis]

You are getting confused with M31, The galaxy in Andromeda, and The Double Cluster in Perseus.

Dropping down from Cassiopeia, will take you to the double cluster, also known as the Sword Handle.

To find the Andromeda Galaxy, start with the Great Square of Pegasus. Easily Identified, because the main stars form a big square.

Locate the top left one, then count upwards along three bright stars, when you reach the third move to the right a little, and on a good night, you will see a patch of light with your naked eye. Turn your scope or binos to it, and there it will be.

You need to photograph it to see it in all it's glory, but large scopes will reveal it's dust lanes.

The Sword Handle is also a naked eye object, but only as a faint patch of light about midway between Cassiopeia, and Perseus. That object is a lovely sight in binoculars, or a richest field telescope.

Good Luck.

Ron.

[Ibbo!]

Top left hand star of the square of peg is star 1 count three to the left

This star becomes star 1

count 3 up and the galaxy is just to the right

Hope this makes sense

Steve

Edit to say

Snap Ron

[MJP]

Thanks guys.

Mike

[barkis]

Top left hand star of the square of peg is star 1 count three to the left

This star becomes star 1

count 3 up and the galaxy is just to the right

Hope this makes sense

Steve

Edit to say

Snap Ron

[mdstuart]

Put your lowest power eyepiece in and point it between the w of cassiopea and the square of pegasus..

Then sweep the sky and just enjoy the view take your time there is no rush...You will eventually bump in to the galaxy. Its quite odd the first time as its so different to the stars..Its a pretty faint oval glow with no distinct edges...You will know when you see it ..

Others say WOW hold me down when they find it so its pretty distinctive!

Mark

[acey]

We're getting near full Moon which doesn't help, but here's the star-hop.

It's huge (and detailed) when seen from a dark site. From a light-polluted one expect to see a small fuzzy patch.