DSLR astrophotography by Sergi Verdugo
The Andromeda Galaxy
DETAILS
Exposure: 14×900″ + 14×120″ @ ISO 800
Telescope: William Optics 88FD with Borg DG-L
Filter: Baader UV/IR cut 2″
Mount: Skywatcher EQ6 Pro
Camera: Modded Canon 350D in cooler box
Date: 23rd September 2009
Location: Rasos de Peguera (Barcelona)
Comments: Second attempt on this target, this time including shorter exposures to resolve the core of the galaxy. Another set of even shorter exposures would have help to better achieve this objective.
The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to us. It is one of the farthest objects visible to the naked eye, and can be seen even from urban areas with binoculars. Andromeda is the largest galaxy of the Local Group, which consists of the Andromeda Galaxy, the Milky Way Galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy, and about 30 other smaller galaxies. Although the largest, Andromeda may not be the most massive, as recent studies suggest that the Milky Way contains more dark matter and may be the most massive in the group.