I still cant pin-point the andromada nebule?

Question

have the charts and all, where abouts is it?

thanks!!

Answer 1

Hi Yogi -

I usually look for it by using the right hand (deeper) half of the Cassiopeia "W" as an arrow - it points in the direction of a three star asterism in Andromeda that leads to M31. These three stars form an arc pointing back toward Cassiopeia. If you look just to the right of the upper star in this arc, you will see the galaxy as a dim, featureless patch of fuzzy light. A couple of words of advice:

1. The galaxy takes up as much space in the sky as the moon. If you are looking for it with 50X in a telescope, all you will see is dark sky, then lighter sky, then darker sky as you swing past it. It's much easier to find in binoculars.

2. It will not look like the pictures you see in the books that were accomplished with big apertures and extended exposure times. Unless you have a 12 in or bigger scope with low power, all you will see, even on a dark night, is an oval haze of light from the billions of stars that are there.

It is still a great target (especially in binoculars). In telescopes, there are many more interesting things to see out there. So don't give up.

Answer 2

I know this sounds smart-alec, but I don't mean it that way: trying to "pinpoint" it may be part of your problem. With a small telescope, it can be too faint to see, but even under the darkest of conditions, you are looking for a very dim, vague patch of light. The best way to see it is on the lowest magnification, widest field you can get.

With my 12.5-inch Dobsonian, I was able to see it clearly, but only the core, and no detail at all. But then, I never had the best conditions. When I was younger, and under fair to poor conditions, I couldn't see diddly with my 70mm refractor. It's too small an aperture and too much magnification.

I'll bet you're looking right at it, over and over again. See if you can get to a really dark place and use a big pair of binoculars or decent aperture reflector. Under good conditions, you can even see it with the naked eye, but you will do best with averted vision. Don't forget, the thing covers about as much sky as the full moon. It's not small at all.

Answer 3

You need to go into the country where you will drown in night time stars. If you are anywhere within city limits, you're going to have a hard time. May I suggest a visit to the planetarium. Usually there is one in most cities. At least you can get the basics and some simulation to give you an edge as to where to look. Lots of Luck.

Answer 4

You mean the Andromeda galaxy? It's just off one side of the square of pegasus. Depending on where you are in the world, it's between the square of pegasus and cassiopeia.
Look at a star chart and you should be able to find it easy enough.

Answer 5

The nucleus of M31 (a dense cluster of stars at its center) appears "star like", but naked-eye, from a dark site, M31 is bigger than the Moon! The main thing is the darkness of the sky. You need a site where you can easily see the Milky Way. Then M31 will look like a patch of detached and isolated Milky Way.

Answer 6

Here's a chart on my web site which may help you find it. The chart is misleading in one way: it shows the full photographic extent of the Galaxy, but we usually just see the nucleus, which is about a quarter that size.

Answer 7

It's near the upper corner of the constellation Pegasus. From the great square of Pegasus, there are a few stars coming out of one corner like arms - one pair of stars, then another, and then the Andromeda galaxy. That's how I find it.

Answer 8

it is really hard to see even if you know where it is. if you live near any city its impossible.

wait for a clear cold night and use binoculars with a stand or a telescope.

or go to the desert far away from everything.

Answer 9

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