Andromeda

Something special to share with you today. This is more than 100 hours of data collected in all filters with my largest telescope at 4,000mm focal length peering into a section of M31, the Andromeda galaxy. 2.5 million lightyears away from Earth, it amazes me that we can look closely enough to see how alive it is, with massive star formation and nebulosity throughout its spiral arms. I can’t stop myself from thinking whether familiar areas in our own Milky Way such as Orion and Cygnus would appear to an observer in the Andromeda Galaxy the way some of the little areas in this majestic view do to us.

This is a full combination in LRGBHOO to bring out the endless clouds of billions of stars, the bursts of emission and reflection nebulae, and the spiraling dust lanes west of the core of Andromeda which sits just out of frame. A view of the entirety of Andromeda at this focal length and depth would require 48 mosaic panels. I’ll get there someday!