M31 — Andromeda Galaxy
Captured from Goldach (CH) and Velden (DE). Stacked and processed to preserve dust lanes and star colours.
Capture details
- Date: 2025-11-10
- Integration: 120 × 10s
- Gear: Askar 80ED + 0.85× • Canon 550D (Hα)
- Location: Goldach
- Notes: Core + dust lanes, M110 visible
Processing
Gradient removal, careful star colour preservation, masked contrast in dust lanes, mild noise reduction.
What is M31 (Andromeda Galaxy)?
Andromeda is a large spiral galaxy and the closest big neighbor to our Milky Way. It lies about 2.5 million light-years away and is visible to the naked eye from dark skies. Its bright core and dusty spiral arms make it a favorite for astrophotographers.
- Type: Spiral galaxy (SA(s)b)
- Distance: ~2.5 million ly
- Why it’s popular: Huge apparent size, rich dust lanes, companions M32 & M110