Trapping M31

[beren]

Like the creature in greek mythology sent by Neptune to lay waste to king Cepheus kingdom im having difficulty in capturing Andromeda , well the Andromeda galaxy . Two early morning sessions and jack all to show , just curious if anybody else has had success , i thought it would be a somewhat easy task to get more detail then ive achieved :rolleyes: a bright ball of light with smudges of dust lanes :ashamed:

[asimov]

I saw it last year for the 1st time ever. I couldn't get to it with the big reflector due to next door neighbours shed in the way, so I dragged out the little 4.5" reflector & saw it with that....just a white smudge in that aperture & being so low on the horizon. Pleased to see it at all though!

[[1ponders]]

I got it once here http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=2731 Hoping to get it again this weekend at Astrorons place

[beren]

Nice Paul , i get the core and some of the prominent dust lane seen in your pic , thats with 4 x3min shots , just seen postings at cloudy nights with similar rates and the results are amazing

John ive seen it best with a pair of 7x50 binos :thumbsup:

[[1ponders]]

what are the details that your working with Stuart? ISO? Piggyback, 80ED? exposure number and times. image setting (jpeg RAW)? Details man :D

[asimov]

What time is max elevation for it this time of year?

[beren]

:) Ok mate , im constricted for the time being with inadequate PC power {486 from the last decade and a p111 lapo}so stacking is at a minium but for the M31shots ive tried 4x5min jpeg 800iso and 4x3min jpeg 800iso both through the 80ED and processed through PS , both resulted in less detail then yours and probarly from my location despite the altitude of M31 its in my more favourable direction for LP

[[1ponders]]

Crosses the Meridian at 2:00 am and 22 degree above the N horizon here at 26 deg 38' John

[asimov]

Ta Paul..I'll wait around & see if I can glimpse it. I may have to go for a drive...too many rotten street lights to the north of me at home!

[[1ponders]]

Might as well have a look at Mars while your at it John. It's only 2 hours behind.

[asimov]

Well. I knew my luck could'nt last forever. Clouded over! I was looking forward to packing the binos & even the refractor into the car & heading outa town too. Oh well, there will be other nights..

[asimov]

:D Funny how your luck changes....In the space of an hour or so its cloud free, with Andromeda firmly in my sights of the binos & the 6" refractor.

Your right beren, much better in the binos than the refractor, The core is nice & bright, with the whole galaxy taking up exactly half the FOV in the binos, at the galaxies longest axis. No dust lanes of course. Real spectacular! In the 6" @ 50X it's a ok view....better in the binos though!! I wonder if its worth dismantling a 300Lb reflector & shifting it just up the road!?? Don't be silly! :) Of COURSE it is!! (not this morning though...another night)

Dark adaption is a MUST here, in the locating, & the visual WOW factor. I could spend hours looking at this! :cool: I took some pics with the kodak..:rofl: Not much hope of em' turning out I dont reckon! :confused:

[gaa_ian]

M31 is a favourite target for us here in the North at this time of year on .
I agree that Binos are the way to go, my best views have been with a set of 16x60 binos.
Structure is visable in the dust lanes, & the field of view is filled from edge to edge with this awesome galaxy.

[[1ponders]]

Remember Stuart that my photo was taken with a 50mm lense piggyback at f/1.8 or 3.6 (can't remember if I had the teleconverter on or not), slightly quicker than the f/7 of your Orion

[beren]

:rolleyes: Geez didnt even click to try the camera lens Paul :doh: