Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Andromeda (And)  ·  Contains:  Andromeda Galaxy  ·  M 110  ·  M 31  ·  M 32  ·  NGC 205  ·  NGC 206  ·  NGC 221  ·  NGC 224
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Andromeda Galaxy - M31 in RGB, Tom Dinneen
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Andromeda Galaxy - M31 in RGB

Acquisition type: Electronically-Assisted Astronomy (EAA, e.g. based on a live video feed)
Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Andromeda Galaxy - M31 in RGB, Tom Dinneen
Powered byPixInsight

Andromeda Galaxy - M31 in RGB

Acquisition type: Electronically-Assisted Astronomy (EAA, e.g. based on a live video feed)

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Description

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31 in the Messier catalogue and NGC 224 in the New General Catalogue) is a barred spiral galaxy (same as our Milky Way) in the constellation of Andromeda. It's 2.5M light years away, is home to over a trillion stars and has a diameter of around 220,000 light years.

Thought to be a nebula until the 1920's. It wasn't until it's distance was established (first by Curtis in 1917 'island universe', then Opik in 1922 and finally Hubble in 1925) that it was identified as an entirely separate galaxy and not a cluster or stars and gases within our own).

We'll get a closer inspection in around 4.5 billion years when we collide with it.

Pretty happy with this considering it's just 30 x 30 second exposures with an OSC, no filter, moon was 81% and maybe 60 degrees away. Also no calibration with darks or flats. My first attempt was woeful but then I followed https://www.lightvortexastronomy.com/tutorial-example-m31-andromeda-galaxy---dslr.html and hey presto... magic happened.

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Andromeda Galaxy - M31 in RGB, Tom Dinneen

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