#21  
Old 17-11-2015, 08:10 AM
TheCrazedLog
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I was off the coast of Norway on a cruise a couple of years ago on my honeymoon. We took the 10x50 and I tracked down M31 in those, then was able to see it just using naked eye. That was pretty cool.

Haven't seen it from home though....
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  #22  
Old 18-11-2015, 10:05 AM
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Originally Posted by acropolite View Post
I've tried from Launceston but not succeeded, I might give it another go. it's worth making the trip north for Qld astrofest to see M31 in it's full glory.
Yep. It's an easy object to spot with the unaided Mk1 eyeball. From there. The last time I saw it was from Tin Can Bay. Not exactly a dark site, but good clear shape. Wish I had some binoculars with me!

It's on my list to spot from inner Lux Melbournis too. Have had a couple of tries and failures. Might involve standing on my (flat) roof...
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  #23  
Old 18-11-2015, 01:53 PM
castor
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I have seen M31, easily, with 7x50 binos from my apartment in Fitzroy, Melbourne, just north of the city centre. I do remember seeing it on the Sunshine Coast and on the same day vainly trying to find the Double Cluster in Perseus.

I live in Hobart now and have yet to attempt it. Just got myself new 8x44 Minox HD and 10x42L Canon IS binos - should try soon!
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Old 18-11-2015, 03:08 PM
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I have seen M31, easily, with 7x50 binos from my apartment in Fitzroy, Melbourne, just north of the city centre. I do remember seeing it on the Sunshine Coast and on the same day vainly trying to find the Double Cluster in Perseus.

I live in Hobart now and have yet to attempt it. Just got myself new 8x44 Minox HD and 10x42L Canon IS binos - should try soon!
Good to hear. I'm 10 min east of there.
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Old 04-12-2015, 08:13 AM
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Good to hear. I'm 10 min east of there.
Tried it last night with 8x40s. No good. Easy to find where it should have been, but just too light polluted.
That said, with it culminating at just before 10pm last night at a little over 10 degrees elevation, it might be better to try it in October next year.
The great orion nebula was at a similar elevation at the same time, and I could only just make out that it was there, so no surprises on missing M31.
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  #26  
Old 29-10-2016, 02:38 PM
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Tinderboxsky (Steve)
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2016 sighting

I managed my 2016 sighting of Andromeda last night during the Astronomical Society of Tasmania member observing night at our Mt Pleasant observatory outside Hobart.
The observing area has a good low dark outlook to the North. The star hop is easy and Andromeda popped out as a broad diffuse patch with obvious brightening to the centre. The elongated shape was just discernible but no other detail was seen. It was an opportunity for many other members present to get their first ever view of Andromeda and marvel at the journey the light photons have taken.
The viewing was about an hour before culmination with Andromeda at about 4deg elevation.
Scope was a Vixen NA140SS with Panoptic 24 giving 33X with 4.25mm exit pupil.
So, can tick this off the list for 2016

Cheers
Steve
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  #27  
Old 30-10-2016, 08:15 AM
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Nice to see these annual reports Steve. Have you tried M33? Another iconic spiral in the vicinity - to the right of M31 and about 10 degrees higher up. Lower brightness but I can easily find it in 11 x 70 binos.
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Old 01-11-2016, 10:16 PM
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Had a look at M31, 32, 110 last night. It's a little easier from here. M33 was nice, it's my test for sky conditions, depending on how easy it is to see naked eye.
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  #29  
Old 02-11-2016, 08:53 AM
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Thanks for your comments Graeme.
Being 43 deg south, I have tended to ignore anything further north than +30 degrees. Just too much atmosphere and muck to look through. I have tried Albireo, at +28 north a couple of times and whilst the pair are easy to resolve and the colours are there, I have never been able to resolve the stars as nice sharp points. They are always small mushy blobs.
Anyhow now that you mention M33, I shall track it down next time I have clear skies to the north. As you say it is an iconic spiral and the astro images are a relevation.

Cheers
Steve.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rigel003 View Post
Nice to see these annual reports Steve. Have you tried M33? Another iconic spiral in the vicinity - to the right of M31 and about 10 degrees higher up. Lower brightness but I can easily find it in 11 x 70 binos.
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  #30  
Old 20-11-2017, 02:21 PM
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2017 Andromeda observations

The current string of fine cloudless days here in Hobart have made multiple observations of Andromeda quite straight forward this year.

I am not chasing Andromeda for the views, rather the challenge of being able to see it from Hobart and marvel at the 2million plus years the photons have travelled only to be captured by my eyes . It is a matter of patience waiting for the right conditions given Andromeda is so low on the northern horizon. I live well south of Hobart so I have to look through the Hobart light pollution. On the plus side I have a virtually unrestricted northerly horizon down to about 1 degree elevation with these low hills blocking the majority of the direct line of sight lights of Hobart.

Andromeda was clearly visible in my 7X50 binoculars and 8X50 finderscope last Saturday night during the Astronomical Society of Tasmania member observing night at our Mt Pleasant observatory outside Hobart. Another member was reporting seeing the small diffuse spot in 10X42 binoculars. The observing area has a good low dark outlook to the North.

The star hop is easy and Andromeda popped out as a broad diffuse patch with obvious brightening to the centre in my scope. The slightly elongated shape was discernible. During moments of better seeing, it was obvious that the faint hazy area surrounding the central bright core was not uniform. A hint of structure was present but definitely not enough to define anything specific. Seeing was only average, but transparency was high which seemed to contribute to better contrast this year compared with earlier years when the whole FOV has looked quite washed out.

Andromeda was close to culmination at the time.

Two of us decided we should try for repeat observations atop Mt Wellington to see what difference 4,000 feet in altitude might make. We journeyed up there last night. Of course there are too many uncontrolled variables to make any real comparisons. The transparency was about the same and the seeing was definitely better, however, the light pollution from Hobart was worse than I was expecting. There is also little opportunity to get away from the summit road, so, we had to contend with quite regular traffic - sightseers, aurora chasers, love birds and goodness knows what else.

The result for Andromeda was about the same with the binoculars. The telescopic view was slightly washed out with less contrast and a slightly less rich view. We then spent several enjoyable hours ranging over our favourite targets. We tested some time exposures, but unfortunately there no aurora on the night.

Scope: Vixen NA140SS on TRex mount with Panoptic 24 (33X and 4.2 exit pupil) and LVW13 (62X and 2.3mm exit pupil).
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  #31  
Old 20-11-2017, 04:07 PM
Sconesbie (Scott)
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We saw it on Saturday night at Rosevale (Northern Tas). Very low at about 7 deg alt. It is the first time I have ever seen it. Once I tried to go back after looking at other stuff, I couldn't find it again. Too low.
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  #32  
Old 20-11-2017, 05:18 PM
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xstream (John)
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Thought about it here in Huonville too on Saturday night but just a few too many obstructions in the way.
Even though the sky was clear here the seeing and transparency were fairly crap.
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  #33  
Old 21-11-2017, 09:18 AM
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I am at Tabulam having arrived on Saturday.
I decided against bringing any gear because the weather seemed to be so bad.
It is cloudy and raining most of the time but I was surprised to find a clear sky last night so had a peek at Andromeda thru a pair of small binos and it was wonderful. Also Orion the clouds and the sisters.
No regrets about not bringing the gear up ..well just a little.
Alex
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  #34  
Old 21-11-2017, 12:25 PM
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Saw it last night around 11pm at Langkoop, Victoria.
Quite easy to see a fuzz unaided but 10x50s were heaps better.
I took 30 x 30sec frames but I forgot to flip down the lever to engage the motor on the tripod.
Not sure what I've got to work with.
Lucky here with no lights to the north except a few house lights 15 km away then Kaniva about 120 km away but clouds are the main problem that usually blocks andomedra.
Andy
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