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Galaxy
Messier 31, Andromeda Galaxy


Object : M31, Andromeda Galaxy
Coordinates/Direction : RA: 00h43m, DEC: +41o21'
Object size : 189' x 61'
Object magnitude : 3.44
More to know : Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Andromeda Galaxy

M31 2022-11-12

M31, Penyax 645 300 mm ED, 2022
Date : 2022-11-12
Time (UT) : 19:53 to 20:17
Mount : SkyWatcher HEQ5 controlled by Astroberry
Guide : Ekos internal guider in dithering mode, QHY5 camera with 200 mm f/3.5 lens
Lens/telescope : Pentax 645 300 mm ED f/4 (medium format lens)
Corrector/Barlow : -
Field (FOV) : 6.8x4.5 degree, before cropping
Filter : none
camera : Canon 6D, controlled by Astroberry software
Film/CCD : Raw
Exp. time : 12x60 seconds, iso1600
Image process tool : Siril, Fitswork, Irfanview
Processing : crop, resize, level, cal dark, bias, flat
Weather : 50% clouds
Site : Sweden, Stockholm, Ingarö. Bortle class 4
Comment : After I had setup the equipment I started with an easy target, the big and bright M31 Andromeda galaxy. When doing this photographing a lot of clouds pass by and I had to trash more than half the photos. With high gain on the blue channel it gives this look of the galaxy.

M31 2019-08-31, first light with Canon 300 mm f/4 lens

M31, Canon 300 mm (click on the image to get a full resolution photo in a new window)
Date : 2019-08-31
Time (UT) : 22:59 to 00:00
Mount : Star Adventurer, see wedge, tripod
Guide : -
Lens/telescope : Canon 300 mm f/4.0 (set to f/4.0)
Corrector/Barlow : -
Field (FOV) : 6.8x4.5 degree, before cropping
Filter : none
camera : Canon 6D, controlled by intervallometer, focused through wifi and Canon app.
Film/CCD : Raw
Exp. time : 44x60 seconds, iso1600
Image process tool : AstroImageJ, Fitswork, Irfanview
Processing : demosaic, flat calibrated, dark level adjust, median stack (to get rid of static pattern), crop, level
Weather : clear
Site : Sweden, Stockholm, Ingarö. Bortle class 4
Comment : M31 Andromeda Galaxy.
This is the first image this season. It's also my first test of my new (used) Canon 300 mm f/4 lens. I was not sure if my relative simple mount Star Adventurer could handle this long focal length, but it worked. This lens has twice the focal length compared to my earlier lens, it helps a lot to see the details in the objects. Almost like a small telescope with built in field flattener and motor focus.

This evening we had a private Star Party, we did visual observations, Starscapes and long exposures deep sky photos. I had some struggle with my mount, the coupling on DEC axis got broken, a fast solution fix needed to be handled.
M31, CdC map (credit CdC, Cartes du Ciel)
Date : 2019-09-01
Time (UT) : 00:00
Comment : Asteroids ?
A friend to me told that there is an asteroid in this photo. This is a star chart with the same date as the photo. I can see two asteroids, Herschel magnitude 14.2 and Ruth Wolfe magnitude 15.5. But both are outside of the field of the photography. Must investigate more deeper.

M31 2017-08-15, wide angle version

M31 wide angle 150 mm (click on the image to get a full resolution photo in a new window)
Date : 2017-08-19
Time (UT) : 21:55 to 22:58
Mount : EQ6 Pro
Guide : -
Lens/telescope : Sigma APO 150 mm f/2.8 (set to f/4.0)
Corrector/Barlow : -
Field (FOV) : 13.6x9.1 degree, before cropping
Filter : none
camera : Canon 6D, controlled by APT
Film/CCD : Raw
Exp. time : 30x120 seconds, iso800
Image process tool : AstroImageJ, Fitswork
Processing : demosaic, flat calibrated, dark level adjust, median stack (to get rid of static pattern), crop, level
Weather : clear
Site : Sweden, Stockholm, Ingarö. Bortle class 4
Comment : M31 Andromeda Galaxy.
Same object as before, but now taken with the camera mounted on the big EQ6 mount, much more stable. Can you se any difference?

M31 2016-09-10, wide angle version, new camera

M31 wide angle 150 mm (click on the image to get a full resolution photo in a new window)
Date : 2016-09-10
Time (UT) : 20:19 to 23:45
Mount : Star Adventurer
Guide : -
Lens/telescope : Sigma APO 150mm f/2.8 (set to f/4.0)
Corrector/Barlow : -
Field (FOV) : 13.6x9.1 degree, before cropping
Filter : none
camera : Canon 6D, controlled by intervallometer
Film/CCD : Raw
Exp. time : 89x120 seconds, iso400
Image process tool : AstroImageJ, Fitswork
Processing : demosaic, flat calibrated, dark level adjust, median stack (to get rid of static pattern), crop, level
Weather : clear
Site : Sweden, Stockholm, Ingarö. Bortle class 4
Comment : M31 Andromeda Galaxy.
The photo was taken with my Sigma APO 150 mm lens set to f4. I'm very satisfied with my Star Adventurer mount. Later when I have collect more experience I hope to increase the exposure time.

M31 2016-09-10, Crop version

M31 wide angle 150 mm crop version
Date : 2016-09-10
Lens/telescope : Sigma APO 150mm f/2.8 (set to f/4.0)
camera : Canon 6D, controlled by intervallometer
Comment : M31 Andromeda Galaxy.
Here is a crop version of above photo. Even if it's taken with a short 150 mm lens you can still se details in the Galaxy.

M31 2016-09-10, version 2 with Siril processing and new flat frames

M31 wide angle 150 mm, new processed with Siril (click on the image to get a full resolution photo in a new window)
Date : 2016-09-10
Time (UT) : 20:19 to 23:45
Mount : Star Adventurer
Guide : -
Lens/telescope : Sigma APO 150mm f/2.8 (set to f/4.0)
Corrector/Barlow : -
Field (FOV) : 13.6x9.1 degree, before cropping
Filter : none
camera : Canon 6D, controlled by intervallometer
Film/CCD : Raw
Exp. time : 80x120 seconds, iso400
Image process tool : Siril, Fitswork (new 2022)
Processing : flat, dark, bias calibrated, median stack (to get rid of static pattern), crop, level
Weather : clear
Site : Sweden, Stockholm, Ingarö. Bortle class 4
Comment : M31 Andromeda Galaxy, version 2.
I have redone the image pre processing with Siril. I have more control of the process and can select which frames that will be included. I also borrowed a flat screen by my friend Rolf. See also the uncropped version by clicking on the image, so lot of stars ! With this less advanced mount it's not so easy to track the stars for 120 seconds.

M31 2015-08-22, refractor APO version

Andromeda M31 galaxy 2015
Date : 2015-08-22
Time (UT) : -
Mount : Skywatcher EQ6 Pro controlled by EQMOD and APT
Guide : PHD2in dithering mode and off axis guide QHY5
Lens/telescope : TS130, 910mm f/7 (682mm, f/5.3)
Corrector/Barlow : Riccardi flat field corrector 2.5" x0.75
Field (FOV) : 3x2 degree, before cropping
Filter : none
camera : Canon 5D
Film/CCD : Raw
Exp. time : 19x30, 30x120, 16x240 seconds iso800
Image process tool : DSS, Fitswork, Irfanview
Processing : resize, level, cal dark&bias
Weather : clear
Site : Sweden, Stockholm, Ingarö. Bortle class 4
Comment : One of my first test with the modified adapters to reduce vignetting problems. Works fine relative earlier. But as seen, the 30 seconds exposures doesn't fit very well at the high levels as in galaxy center.

This was one and only time that I took my telescope out to the summerhouse. Relative our flat in city there is a huge difference in light pollution and what a difference it made.

2006-11-26, my first M31 photo

Andromeda Galaxy, M31
Date : 2006-11-26
Time (UT) : 18:57 to 19:36
Mount : EQ4 with motor
Lens/telescope : Makinon 135mm f/2.8
Corrector/Barlow : none
Field (FOV) : 12x8 degree, before cropping
Filter : none
camera : Canon 350D
Film/CCD : iso800
Exp. time : of 38x60 seconds only 6 was used because of clouds
Weather : clouds come and go
Site : Sweden, Stockholm, Midsommarkransen 4:th floor. Bortle class 9
Comment : This was my first attempt to shot M31. Our neighbor galaxy, maybe it will collide with us in the future. It's fantastic that it's possibly to take a deep sky image from city where I live, without any filter!
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