The Constellation Andromeda - The Chained Maiden

The constellations of Pegasus and Andromeda contain many galaxies, most of which are relatively faint. They challenge the observer not only to find them, but to detect detail in them.

The constellations Andromeda and Perseus, along with Cetus,  Pegasus, Casseopiea and Cepheus, are richly intertwined in mythology, but are vastly divergent in the objects they present to amateur astronomers. While Perseus lies along the Milky Way, and offers many sparkling open clusters and diffuse nebulae, Andromeda lies away from our galaxy's plane, and lets us see the inhabitants of intergalactic space. Some of the finest objects of their respective classes reside in these constellations, and it is well worth braving cold weather to observe them. Happy hunting!

M-31, 32, & 110 - The Great Galaxy in Andromeda and its companions. M-31 is the closest large spiral galaxy to our own Milky Way galaxy, and therefore presents us with a wealth of details. Numerous dust lanes are evident, and large telescopes can even identify individual members of its system of globular clusters. I find the best view of this galaxy trio to be through large binoculars. At this magnification, the complete extent of the main galaxy can be seen, and the fuzz, star-like M-32 and the elliptical M-110 can be glimpsed quite easily in the same field of view.

To Find M31: Start from 3rd base of the Great Square of Pegasus. Then, simply count stars, 1, 2 to Beta Andromeda (away from the great square), then up (west) 1, 2 stars, and there it is!

Then once you find M-31, M-33 is on the exact opposite side of Beta And an equal amount below the star. M33 is not a naked eye object except in perfectly dark conditions.

Observing Notes for M31: In general, binoculars will show a more compact and "brighter" view of M31, while an average amateur telescope will magnify the object, and it will appear larger and dimmer. The telescope, however, will also show more detail, and with an 8-inch telescope and larger, you should, with a bit of practice, see dust lanes and large clusters in the galaxy.

Bear in mind that the field of view of your eyepiece/telescope combination will probably show only part of the galaxy, and to find M32 and M110, you will need to move off from the center of the galaxy to see them. M110 is to the north and further away from the central core of the galaxy than M32, which is on the southern edge of the main galaxy and may appear like a blurry star rather than a small companion galaxy.

Check out the image of M31 that is posted on this page to get a more specific idea of what you should be seeing when observing this showpiece galaxy. In our image, M110 is the small galaxy to the top of M31, and M32 is a small blur just on the bottom right edge of the galaxy. This image will give you a better idea of what you can see in your telescope than a "better" professional photograph of M31.

Truly one of the showpieces of the northern sky, M31 extends over 3 degrees, and is easily visible to the naked eye. Its two companions, M32 to the south, and M110 to the north, are both small elliptical galaxies. M31 itself is best seen at low powers, and one of the best views I've had was through 16x80 binoculars, where the galaxy's full extent could be seen, along with several dust lanes and its companion galaxies. Marvelous!

NGC 891 - This is a large galaxy, 12-15'x3', extended NNE-SSW. Using averted vision, one can see a dust lane bisecting it at its center. Although it is large, it appears rather faint, so time is needed to extract detail in this beautiful object.

Gamma Andromedae - One of the prettiest double stars in the sky. It is easily split, and shows a golden-orange primary and a fine blue companion. A must see.

NGC 404 - Easily found right next to Beta Andromedae, this galaxy is only well seen when that star is out of the field of view. It is 4'x2-3', extended NNE-SSW, broadly concentrated to the center, and has a stellar nucleus.

NGC 752 - A large and splashy open cluster which is best seen in the viewfinder or binoculars. It is about 3/4 degree in size, with over 150 relatively bright stars arranged in many curving chains. Well detached from the background stars and very pretty.

NGC 891 - In photographs, one of the finest objects to be seen. Visually, however, it is large and faint, with little detail. It is 12-15'x3', oriented N-S, with faint dust lanes along its eastern side and through the center.

NGC 7662 - A fine, bright, bluish-green planetary nebula, about 30" in diameter which handles magnification well. No annularity was noted, but the SE edge appeared to be brighter than the NW side. Some observers do see annularity at very high powers.

NGC 7686 - A small, sparse open cluster surrounding a wide orange and blue double star. Not well detached from the background, I counted only about 15 relatively faint stars in the cluster.

Pi Andromedae - A nice double star composed of a bright white primary and a fainter, dusky blue companion. Easily split.

Article © Copyright Rick Raasch
Photos © Copyright Edward P. Flaspoehler, Jr.

Messier Objects in Andromeda

Herschel 400 Objects in Andromeda

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