M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, in BinoSky, a guide to astronomy with binoculars.


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The Andromeda Galaxy, M31

A map of the star field. Magnitudes are given without a decimal point, e.g. 67 is to be interpreted as magnitude 6.7.

How to Find It
An easy object to find, right near one of the stars of the constellation Andromeda.

Comments
Whether you are happy or disappointed with M31 through binoculars is a matter of what you expect. If you expect to see the full extent of the galaxy, including the dust lanes as shown in photos in books, you'll undoubtedly write it off as a complete loss, just a fuzzy patch. What you will see is the bright nucleus, which is a distinctive object, and this is certainly the most easily observed galaxy in the northern-hemisphere sky.
Data
RA=00 43, dec=+41 16
integrated magnitude=3.5

60-degree field of view

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	A map of the star field. Magnitudes are given without a decimal point, e.g. 67 is to be interpreted as magnitude 6.7.

How to Find It An easy object to find, right near one of the stars of the constellation Andromeda. Comments Whether you are happy or disappointed with M31 through binoculars is a matter of what you expect. If you expect to see the full extent of the galaxy, including the dust lanes as shown in photos in books, you'll undoubtedly write it off as a complete loss, just a fuzzy patch. What you will see is the bright nucleus, which is a distinctive object, and this is certainly the most easily observed galaxy in the northern-hemisphere sky. Data RA=00 43, dec=+41 16 integrated magnitude=3.5
	60-degree field of view