This is my first image of the Andromeda Galaxy (catalog numbers NGC 224 and M31)! It's so big, it won't all fit in the view of my telescope, so I'm also presently working on a mosaic where I have multiple images arranged together to create the final full-view piece. Until then, you get this version. (UPDATE: 7-panel mosaic complete, its my first attempt and I may have overcooked it, so I can only improve from here).

Found within the constellation of Andromeda, this spiral galaxy is actually visible with the naked eye. The faint blur you would see is the light emitted from the masses of stars circling its black hole core, and that light took approximately 2,480,000 light years to reach your eyes! Andromeda is a hungry galaxy that has consumed other galaxies in its proximity, and eventually will also collide with our very own Milky Way in around 4-5 billion years.

This particular image is the final result of several early mornings where I was able to capture around 1533 usable frames to stack and process. Now for the geek stuff:

6 total hours in B4 zone

1533 x 10 light frames 29°

Stacked and stretched in Siril = 8 min

Processed in Lightroom

Andromeda Galaxy

Adromeda Galaxy Aug 18 2024