August 09 2015
 |
| M31 as photographed under light polluted skies |
The Great Andromeda Galaxy (M31)
Nikon D610 + Skywatcher ED80
Skywatcher EQ-3 Synscan + Orion SS Autoguider
3 minutes x 30 @ iso 1600
Stacked in DeepSkyStacker
This is my first attempt to capture M31 under light polluted skies using the ED80. Trying to photograph galaxies from a red zone (light pollution is high) is nothing short of challenging and can be at times frustrating. After polar alignment and a 2-star calibration, i looked thru the 28mm eyepiece and saw M31 as a faint smudge.
 |
| M31 thru a 28mm eyepiece |
M31 sits high enough at the horizon at this time of the year (August) but the light pollution just gets in the way, and the only way to capture all the faint details is thru a really dark sky, far away from city lights. I used a UHC-S filter for this image and i am suspecting that, although it minimizes light pollution, it also cuts some of M31's detail.
The Andromeda galaxy is a very large object in the sky that its apparent diameter is six times that of a full moon, but it is so far away at 2.5 million light years that it's light is faint and will appear as a fuzzy star when viewed from earth.
 |
| M31 is as large as 6 full moons |
My quest for a better imaging conditions of M31 will continue. The dark skies are calling...
