Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Finding the galaxy
• Method 2 of 3: Choosing tools
• Method 3 of 3: Maximize the image
• Tips

The Andromeda Nebula, also known as Messier 31, is one of the most distant objects the human eye can see unaided. Use the constellations around the Andromeda Nebula to help locate them in the sky. You can see the galaxy with the naked eye, but binoculars or telescope will make it clearer. To maximize your vision, go outside on a dark night in the fall or winter. It's a bit tricky to find the galaxy the first time, but once you find it, you won't lose it any time soon.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Finding the galaxy

1. Leave the lights of the city behind. Any light pollution can make it difficult to find the Andromeda Nebula. It is best to be far from any urban areas, street lights or illuminated parks. Take a hike up a mountain, go to a remote field, or find another area with no light pollution.
2. Adjust your eyes to the dark. The Andromeda Nebula is not as bright as other stars around it. When you go out to look at the starry sky, give yourself 15 minutes to allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness. You may not realize that you can see more stars than you initially could.
3. Use a star chart to determine where the galaxy will appear in the sky. The position of galaxies, stars and constellations can change with the seasons. Use a star chart designed for the current month.
   • You can often find star charts online for free. They are also sometimes sold at planetariums or by astronomical associations.
   • The star chart can also tell you the best time of night to see the Andromeda Nebula, depending on the season.
   • For example, in September and October, the Andromeda Nebula will rise in the eastern sky of the Northern Hemisphere. By midnight it will be directly above your head.
   • If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, look to the northern horizon in December to see the star nebula. He will not be high in the sky.
4. Download a stargazing app. There are many apps that can help you find the Andromeda Nebula and other galaxies. These adjust the star charts based on your position, hemisphere, season and time of night. Examples are Star Chart, NightSky and GoSkyWatch.
5. Find the Cassiopeia constellation. If you can find the Big Dipper, look for the bright star next to it. This one is called Polaris or the North Star. Opposite Polaris (seen from the Big Dipper) is Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia consists of five stars in the shape of a "W". The right side of this "W" points directly down to the Andromeda Nebula.
6. Find the Pegasus and Andromeda constellations. Pegasus looks like a giant rectangle. You will see two rows of stars extending from the top left corner of this star. This is the Andromeda constellation.
   • Don't forget that the Andromeda constellation is different from the Andromeda Nebula.
7. Look for a spot between Pegasus and Cassiopeia. The Andromeda Nebula lies between the Pegasus Constellation and the point Cassiopeia. It should look like a blur or a hazy oval in the sky.
8. Draw a line through the stars Mirach and Mu of Andromeda. Start at the star in the top left corner of Pegasus. The constellation Andromeda starts here. Follow Andromeda past two stars. You should see two stacked stars called Mirach and Mu. If you draw a line through the two stars and pass it past Mu, you should encounter the Andromeda Nebula.
   • Mu Andromeda is weaker than Mirach. It is also the closest star to the Andromeda Galaxy.
9. Find the companion galaxies. If you use a telescope, you may see two fuzzy spots next to the galaxy. One of these, M32, is smaller in size and closer to the actual core of the galaxy. The other, NGC 205, is larger and further away from the actual galaxy. Both are companion systems of Andromeda.

Method 2 of 3: Choosing tools

1. First, try to find the galaxy with your naked eye. You can see the Andromeda Nebula without any special tools. It will look like a fuzzy, blurry oval in the night sky. Once you have located the area in the sky where the galaxy is located, it may be easier to find it with binoculars or a telescope.
2. Use binoculars for a closer look. Binoculars allow you to get a better look at galaxies. Once you have located the galaxy with the naked eye, slowly raise the binoculars and adjust the focus until you see the galaxy. It should look like an oval cloud when viewed through binoculars.
   • You can use normal binoculars for this. The best binoculars to use have 7x50, 8x40 or 10x50 lenses.
3. Use a telescope for a more detailed examination. With a standard 20 cm reflector telescope you can see the core (or center) of the galaxy, as well as the two associated galaxies. The galaxy is so big that you may not be able to see everything at once with your telescope.
   • If you're using a telescope, keep it at the lowest magnification settings. While the Andromeda Galaxy looks quite small to the naked eye, it will look very large through a telescope.

Method 3 of 3: Maximize the image

1. Look for the Andromeda Nebula in the fall or winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, the best time to view the Andromeda Nebula is between August and September. In the southern hemisphere, it is best viewed between October and December. During these seasons, Andromeda will appear as soon as the sky darkens.
   • In the Northern Hemisphere, it is possible to view the Andromeda Nebula all year round, although it can be more difficult to find in other seasons.
2. Choose a night without a moon. The moon can obstruct your view of the stars. You have the clearest view of the Andromeda Nebula when you go out during the new moon or a crescent moon.
   • When the moon is full, it can be difficult to find the Andromeda Nebula.
   • New Moon occurs once a month. Use an (online) lunar calendar to find the best night for star gazing this month.
3. Check the weather for a cloudless evening. Any clouds in the sky will obstruct your view of the stars. Check the weather reports before going out to make sure there will be no cloud cover.

Tips

• What you are actually seeing is the core of the star nebula, the outer arms are very faint. You may want to try to photograph it to see it, but you will likely need a long exposure, a camera tripod and image stacking software (such as Registax or ImagesPlus).
• Remember to dress for the weather, especially in the colder months.