M31, Andromeda Galaxy

Name:

Todd Vance

Bowie, MD

Date:

Sunday, July 9, 2006

Time:

01:37--01:43EDT

Seeing:

5 (average)

Transparency:

3

Site:

Home 38° 54' 51'' N 76° 44' 5'' W

Object:

M31

Andromeda Galaxy

Constellation:

Andromeda

Instrument:

9x63 Meade Travelview Binoculars 5.8° field of view

Power:

9x

Description: Bright nucleus that looked like a globular cluster but elliptical in the NNE-SSW direction, medium bright elliptical haze surrounding it tilted a little counterclockwise from the nucleus, and with averted vision, very faint vertically-thin “mustache” haze trailing off. Total length, including averted vision portion, almost a degree. Everything was white or light gray except one yellow star (ν Andromedae). Tree branches obscured the area south and southeast of the galaxy. M110 and M32 were not detected. I also tried but failed to detect M31 with the naked eye. To find it, first I found Schedar (α Cassiopeiae) which forms a “V” with γ and Caph (β). The vertex of the V points the way—I pass a prominent grouping of stars, and continue past three stars in an obtuse triangle until I find three stars almost in the line I am traveling (ο, HIP3478, and π). This line points the way exactly (the “V” only being approximate). I continue, cross a line of stars perpendicular to the three I just visited, and on the other side of that line (same distance as the three stars) is M31.