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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 2023-09-24

M31, Pentax 645 300 mm ED, 2023 (Click on the image and get the full resolution one in a new window)
Date : 2023-09-24
Time (UT) : 18:52 to 20:06
Mount : SkyWatcher EQ6 Pro, beltdrive modified (DIY 2019)
Guide : 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) : 6.8x4.5o (full frame) before crop
camera : Canon 6D, QE=0.5, full frame, 20 Mpixel, 14 bit
camera temperature: About 6o C above surrounding temperature
Film/CCD : Raw, Cr2
Filter : none
Control system: Mount, camera, focus, guide (Ekos) controlled by Astroberry (KStars/Ekos Linux)
Exp. time : 60x60 seconds, iso1600, dithering mode
Image process tool : Siril, Gimp, Irfanview
Processing : cal bias, flat, photometric color calibration
Weather temperature:
Temperature Örby Temperature data from:
Temperatur.nu
Weather clouds: clear sky
Site : Sweden, Stockholm, Hagsätra. Bortle 9
Free view Az: 20o-90o, 165o-185o, La: 20o-55o
Comment : I just wanted to have a photo from where I live with heavy light pollution to compare with these photos taken from Björnö. There is a difference !

M31 2023-09-21

M31, Pentax 645 300 mm ED, 2023 (Click on the image and get the full resolution one in a new window)
Date : 2023-09-21
Time (UT) : 19:08 to 20:02
Mount : SkyWatcher HEQ5, belt modified, low rider
Guide : 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) : 6.8x4.5o (full frame) before crop
camera : Canon 6D, QE=0.5, full frame, 20 Mpixel, 14 bit
camera temperature: About 6o C above surrounding temperature
Film/CCD : Raw, Cr2
Filter : none
Control system: Mount, camera, focus, guide (Ekos) controlled by Astroberry (KStars/Ekos Linux)
Exp. time : 22x120 seconds, iso1600, dithering mode
Image process tool : Siril, Gimp, Irfanview
Processing :  cal bias, flat, photometric color calibration
Weather temperature:
Temperature Ingröstrand Temperature data from:
Temperatur.nu
Weather clouds: 50% clouds
Site : Sweden, Stockholm, Hagsätra. Bortle 9
Free view Az: 20o-90o, 165o-185o, La: 20o-55o
Comment : First out on the field photo the season 2023. Even if it was promised a clear sky we had clouds that coming and go. This time I cranked up the saturation a bit. It was my first test of the new setup for clock synchronization and it worked very well. The clock, date and location must be correct, otherwise some of the functions get in trouble. That was a big step forward. Here is my story from the night in Swedish, My night book.

Satellite galaxy M110 2023-09-21

Satellite galaxy M110, Pentax 645 300 mm ED, 2023
Date : 2023-09-21
Time (UT) : 19:08 to 20:02
Comment : The Andromeda galaxy has satellite galaxies as our own Milky Way. Here is M110, it's a dwarf elliptical galaxy. It's the last number in the Messier list. You find more details here: M110 Wikipedia.

Satellite galaxy M32 2023-09-21

Satellite galaxy M32, Pentax 645 300 mm ED, 2023
Date : 2023-09-21
Time (UT) : 19:08 to 20:02
Comment : One more satellite galaxy to M31, it's M32. It was discovered already 1749 by Guillaume Le Gentil. You find more details here: M32 Wikipedia. Notice the heavy dustlanes in the main galaxy M31. Places where stars are born at.

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, belt modified, low rider
Guide : 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) : 6.8x4.5o (full frame) before crop
camera : Canon 6D, QE=0.5, full frame, 20 Mpixel, 14 bit
camera temperature: About 6o C above surrounding temperature
Film/CCD : Raw, Cr2
Filter : none
Control system: Mount, camera, focus, guide (Ekos) controlled by Astroberry (KStars/Ekos Linux)
Exp. time : 12x60 seconds, iso1600, dithering mode
Image process tool : Siril, Fitswork, Irfanview
Processing : crop, resize, level, cal dark, bias, flat
Weather temperature:
Temperature Ingaröstrand Temperature data from:
Temperatur.nu
Weather clouds: 50% clouds
Site : Sweden, Stockholm, Björnö Nature reservation. Bortle 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 : SkyWatcher Star Adventurer, light weight mount
Lens/telescope : Canon APO L 300mm f/4
Corrector/Barlow : -
Field (FOV) : 6.8x4.5o (full frame) before crop
camera : Canon 6D, QE=0.5, full frame, 20 Mpixel, 14 bit
camera temperature: About 6o C above surrounding temperature
Film/CCD : Raw, Cr2
Filter : none
Control system : Camera focus by Canon Remote APP, camera exposure by intervallometer
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, Björnö nature reservation. 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 : SkyWatcher Star Adventurer, light weight mount
Lens/telescope : Sigma APO 150 mm f/2.8 (set to f/4)
Corrector/Barlow : -
Field (FOV) : 13.6x9.1o (full frame) before crop
camera : Canon 6D, QE=0.5, full frame, 20 Mpixel, 14 bit
camera temperature: About 6o C above surrounding temperature
Film/CCD : Raw, Cr2
Filter : none
Control system : Mount by EQMOD, camera by APT, ASCOM Windows PC
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 sky
Site : Sweden, Stockholm, Björnö Nature reservation. Bortle 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 : SkyWatcher Star Adventurer, light weight mount
Lens/telescope : Sigma APO 150 mm f/2.8 (set to f/4)
Corrector/Barlow : -
Field (FOV) : 13.6x9.1o (full frame) before crop
camera : Canon 6D, QE=0.5, full frame, 20 Mpixel, 14 bit
camera temperature: About 6o C above surrounding temperature
Film/CCD : Raw, Cr2
Filter : none
Control system : Camera focus by Canon Remote APP, camera exposure by intervallometer
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 sky
Site : Sweden, Stockholm, Ingarö. Bortle 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 : SkyWatcher Star Adventurer, light weight mount
Lens/telescope : Sigma APO 150 mm f/2.8 (set to f/4)
Corrector/Barlow : -
Field (FOV) : 13.6x9.1o (full frame) before crop
camera : Canon 6D, QE=0.5, full frame, 20 Mpixel, 14 bit
camera temperature: About 6o C above surrounding temperature
Film/CCD : Raw, Cr2
Filter : none
Control system : Camera focus by Canon Remote APP, camera exposure by intervallometer
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 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, beltdrive modified (DIY 2019)
Guide : QHY5 camera with off-axis
Lens/telescope : TS130 APO f/7 910mm (682mm, f/5.2), 3" focuser
Corrector/Barlow : Riccardi 2.5" field flatter, x0.75. T48 connector to camera
Field (FOV) : 3.0 x 2.0o (full frame) before crop
camera : Canon 5D Mk I, QE=0.25, full frame, 12 Mpixel, 12 bit
camera temperature: About 3o C above surrounding temperature
Film/CCD : Raw, Cr2
Filter : none
Control system : Mount by EQMOD, camera by APT, guide by PHD2, focuser by USB-focus, ASCOM Windows PC
Exp. time : 19x30, 30x120, 16x240 seconds iso800, dithering mode
Image process tool : DSS, Fitswork, Irfanview
Processing : resize, level, cal dark&bias
Weather: clear sky
Site : Sweden, Stockholm, Ingarö. Bortle 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 : SkyWatcher EQ4, modified central support
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. Bortle 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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