Anonymous
Unregistered
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i am having a tough time  trying to find
this galaxy... in the northern hemisphere, it
should be near the top of the sky around 8 pm...
and i do have star guides,etc to help locate it...
being a newbie, i have read that you could see
the shape of this galaxy with a scope  ... is there
another galaxy that is easier to find or as
interesting looking? thanks!
sky
orion 90mmEQ f/10 refractor
orion 130mm stEQ f/5 reflector
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Andromeda is probably the easiest galaxy to find. In dark skies it can be seen with the naked eye. It would probably be easier for you to find it in binoculars, and once you've found the field, put a scope on it. However, it is big...really big, especially under dark skies. Something like 2 degrees wide. If you live or observe from the country, you'll need your lowest power eyepiece to see it. I rarely get over forty power or so. In the city, sky glow can wipe it out. Galaxies tend to have bright nuclei, and then fade through the spiral arms or disk into the background. It is really easy to run over galaxies and not notice the change in background brightness. How are your skies and what magnification have you been using?
Warpd
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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thanks W! i thought it should be easy...my skies are
the typical light polluted around the city...but i was
able to view a nebula within orion, a faint veil-like appearance around 4:30 am one morning...same skies...same conditions...
i am using a 32mm plossl... also, i have an orion corrected image 9x50mm finder scope that is really great to scan the sky at first...
sky
orion 90mmEQ f/10 refractor
orion 130mmEQ st f/5 reflector
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Sky,
You might have an easier time finding the Andromeda galaxy in the finder than in your main scope. Your 130 ST should make the easiest job of finding the galaxy. If you can see the Orion Nebula, you should be able to see the Andromeda galaxy. Under light pollution, the galaxy will have the same, faint glow to it that the nebula did, but it will be an oval shape with no discernable detail. The nucleus will be brighter, with the arms fading off into the sky glow. That's what makes it so hard to find, the gradual tapering off in brightness. It can be tricky to pick out from the sky background.
Warpd
If you really want to drive yourself crazy, look for M33 in Triangulum. I think I tried to find it on and off for five or six years. I finally found it in my Ranger when I was out in the desert.
Warpd
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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HAhaha..... a trip to the desert can do wonders!
thanks again, Warpd, for your help!...now i know exactly what to look for and how it will look... i dont really need anything else to help drive me crazy, but i will look for this M33! Perhaps it will keep me out of the telescope store! 
sky
Orion 90mmEQ f/10 refractor
Orion 130mmEQ st f/5 reflector
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Norvin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/10/03
Posts: 1540
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Read these. It became my search for Andromeda...
Jupiter 10/26/2003
M110
Norvin
Post #275
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 Norvin
10" Black X Class (GSO) Dobsonian
Norvinian Dobsonian Telescope Mount
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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hi norvin! thanks for these links! a lot of information there! i can't wait to try again to find these galaxies,
hopefully tonight if the clouds will keep away.
sky
Orion 90mmEQ f/10 refractor
Orion 130mmEQ st f/5 reflector
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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I'd start with Binoculars - it's reasonably easy to spot using my 8*40's. Look just north of Mu Andromedae.
Other tip - get hold of a copy of Turn Left at Orion (see reviews in Books). That will show you exactly how to find it.
Remember it's bigger than you would expect - overflows my field of view in a 25mm Plossl at *40 (1 degree approx)
Only snag at the moment with M31 is that it is very high in the sky - means I have to kneel or crouch to see it through the EP of my Tal-100. (Other snag is that it has been cloudy for the last 10 days).
Once you've got it - look for M32 nearby. It'll be in the same fov at 40*. M110 is harder - took me several tries and needed a very clear night for me.
Don't even try for M33 unless you have No light pollution and a clear night. I've not seen it with my 4" at home, but did manage it in my binoculars when staying on a farm in Wales.
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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I think M81 in Ursa Major is a much better galaxy to observe than Andromeda. There was more detail in my 4.5in reflector. M81 faces us more instead of seeing the edge.
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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im kinda glad to hear other people are having a hard time
finding m33 , i thought it was just me , its
supposed to be pretty big isnt it? 
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matt
Vendor (Scopemania)
Reged: 07/28/03
Posts: 10022
Loc: Chaville, France
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big but very faint. You don't need a big scope, but you need a dark sky background. Any binoculars will show it under a dark sky and then it will be easier pointing at it with the scope. Its also difficult to see because the core is not much brighter than the disk, and the disk is so faint and spread that sometimes I don't know if I am seeing it, or if it's the sky background brightening because of passing haze, or simply my eyes and brain cheating me in thinking so.
As for andromeda, the best views in my opinion are with the naked eye. Under reasonably dark skies you can see the central bulge with the naked eye. If the sky is very, very transparent, and you give it a look through binoculars first, you can see with averted vision the disk over 1 or 2 degrees, a breathtaking sight if you know what you are looking at.
Favorite all time galaxy, M106 in UMa
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Matt
CI700 mount with various scopes on top.
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Quote:
Favorite all time galaxy, M106 in UMa
I haven't tried M106. I look forward to giving it a try.
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Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 33042
Loc: Gulfport, MS
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Hi Everyone,
I have observed M31 many times from my light polluted backyard, but I didn't realize that I was in for a treat about a month ago. I was driving to visit my parents out in the country, and noticed that the sky was VERY dark and clear. I stopped my truck on a dirt road, turned off the lights, and waited about 10 minutes for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. I was lost in a sea of stars !!! It took me few minutes to figure out where everything was due to the dramatic increase in visible stars. I looked at M31 and was shocked. Not only was it a naked eye target with direct vision, but it was an Extended naked eye target with direct vision! It was wider, and clearer than I had ever seen it through bino's or a scope from any previous location. I was able to just barely make out M33 with averted vision, with no optical aid!!! The double cluster just jumped out at me. I had never been able to see M33 with bino's or a scope, and here I was just barely catching it with naked eye vision. I found my new "Dark Sky" site from which I will observe. 
I hope the farmer doesn't mind. Just wanted to let you all know that a dark sky is SOOOOOOOOO IMPORTANT!!! I had no idea the difference it would make.
Good luck and clear skies,
Scott
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  Scott
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
"The measure of a man’s greatness is not determined by what he accomplishes for himself, but by what he accomplishes for others.” -- Some Bald Guy
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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I read an easy way to find it in a book called NightWatch where you basically use Cassiopia to draw an X, and where the X intersects is almost right on M31. It works for me everytime. I can even find it through binocs in the light poluted Houston area really faint but its there.
Sheridan
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imjeffp
Senior Space Cadet
Reged: 09/30/03
Posts: 4424
Loc: Cedar Park, Texas
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Quote:
It took me few minutes to figure out where everything was due to the dramatic increase in visible stars.
I had that very same problem. Where's Cassiopia? That can't be it, what are all those extra stars in the middle?
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Blog
ST80 • AT80EDT/LXD650
ETX-90/DS-2000 • 10" LX200 Classic ("The Quarter-Meter Telescope at the Heritage Park Observatory")
SPC900NC • DMK21AF04 • Digital Rebel XT
  
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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It said to use Cassiopia as a point of reference along with Andramada... Dont really know how to explain which stars to use without drawing it. But I definatly find it this way...
Sheridan
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Echo
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/29/03
Posts: 3320
Loc: So Cal
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Scott,
Wait until you get a really dark sky and then look at M31 with your scope. I was stunned by it at Mt. Pinos. It didn't look real!
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Queen of GOTO
Life is short.... get a massage!
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matt
Vendor (Scopemania)
Reged: 07/28/03
Posts: 10022
Loc: Chaville, France
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Quote:
Quote:
Favorite all time galaxy, M106 in UMa
I haven't tried M106. I look forward to giving it a try.
Correction. I was referring to M108, which is close to the Owl Nebula and is edge-on. M106 is in Canes Venatici (but you use the UMa stars to find it, just like M51), and is not bad either.
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Matt
CI700 mount with various scopes on top.
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Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 33042
Loc: Gulfport, MS
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Hi Guys (and Gals),
Nightwatch is the way I learned to find M31 also. Casiopia is a big "W" of stars in the sky. Brightest 3 make a triangle. The triangle points to a red/orange bright star approx 20-25 degrees away. Back up from the bright star towards Casiopia to the next dimmer star approx 3? degees. Back up one more time to the next dimmer star and approx 1 degree over that star is M31!!! If anyone could understand what I just wrote down - you are as sick in the head as I am !!!!!
If you see it drawn out - it is so easy. Words don't help - sorry.   
Does anyone who can find M31 understand what I wrote down?
Scott
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Scott
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
"The measure of a man’s greatness is not determined by what he accomplishes for himself, but by what he accomplishes for others.” -- Some Bald Guy
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Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 33042
Loc: Gulfport, MS
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Hi Echo,
I want to use my Nighthawk from a dark site and capture the whole extension of M31,M32,M110. I bought a couple of 2" widefeild EP's for this purpose
I hope it is worth the effort. From what I can see of M31 in my backyard with bino's, I know that from a dark site with a scope it will be killer.
Scott
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Scott
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
"The measure of a man’s greatness is not determined by what he accomplishes for himself, but by what he accomplishes for others.” -- Some Bald Guy
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Echo
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/29/03
Posts: 3320
Loc: So Cal
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Scott,
I actually backed away from the scope. It looked like a string of diamond dust and carbon. I know it will be worth it!
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Queen of GOTO
Life is short.... get a massage!
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Sky, here's what I do, and it hasn't failed me yet. Cassiopeia has a 4.2 magnitude star to the left of the second V that kind of make Cassiopeia look like a kite. (SAO 11256 Spectral B9 on my map). Second if you can find the trunk of Andromeda, where the legs join, there is a star to the left that's usually visable, mag 3.9 (listed as SAO 54281 Spectral). I draw a line from the mag 4.2 star in Cassiopeia through the bottom of the second V toward Andromeda. I also draw a line from the hip of Andromeda threw the mag 3.9 star and where the two lines intersect is M31. Don't know if this works for you but once I noted this I haven't had a problem finding it since. It also is the first DSO that I observed in my son's dob so I guess it has it's place. Good luck!
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