# Andromeda Galaxy / M31

#### **Messier 31**

[![picture-72ddf138cc5f8444f240050d923cbdca-original.jpg](https://astro.afonsomuralha.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/picture-72ddf138cc5f8444f240050d923cbdca-original.jpg)](https://astro.afonsomuralha.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/picture-72ddf138cc5f8444f240050d923cbdca-original.jpg)

> **My best photo of the Andromeda galaxy -** [Full resolution picture available on Telescopius](https://telescopius.com/pictures/view/160129/deep_sky/m-110/by-afonso_muralha?gallery_order=is_featured&gallery_object_search_in_description=false&gallery_object_types=&gallery_filter_type_ids=&gallery_page=1&gallery_user_id=39078#annotated=off)   
> **Details**:  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Date**: 22/Aug/2022  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Exposures**: 80x1min Lights, 10x1min Darks  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**ISO**: 1600  
> **Equipment**:  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Camera**: Canon 6D  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Telescope**: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Mount**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">: EQ5 modified with Onstep </span>

### **Description**

The Andromeda Galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy and is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way. It was originally named the Andromeda Nebula and is cataloged as Messier 31, M31, and NGC 224. Andromeda has a D25 isophotal diameter of about 46.56 kiloparsecs (152,000 light-years) and is approximately 765 kpc (2.5 million light-years) from Earth. The galaxy's name stems from the area of Earth's sky in which it appears, the constellation of Andromeda, which itself is named after the princess who was the wife of Perseus in Greek mythology.

<p class="callout info">[Find more information about the Andromeda Galaxy on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_Galaxy)</p>

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### **Personal Stats**

#### **First observation**

<table class="align-center" id="bkmrk-%F0%9F%93%86-12%2F01%2F2013-%F0%9F%93%8D-los-a" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 50%; border-width: 1px; height: 58px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 21.2346%;"></col><col style="width: 78.5185%;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 29px;"><td class="align-center" style="border-width: 1px; height: 29px;">📆

</td><td class="align-center" style="border-width: 1px; height: 29px;">19/08/2022

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="border-width: 1px; height: 29px; vertical-align: middle;">📍

</td><td class="align-center" style="border-width: 1px; height: 29px;">Santa Cruz, Portugal

</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### **Imaging sessions**

<table class="align-center" id="bkmrk-%C2%A0datebortle-classtot" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 80%; height: 87.5px; border-width: 1px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 86px;"></col><col style="width: 244px;"></col><col style="width: 298px;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 29.5px;"><td class="align-center" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-style: none; height: 29.5px; border-width: 1px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Date</span>

</td><td class="align-center" style="height: 29.5px; border-width: 1px;">Bortle Class

</td><td class="align-center" style="height: 29.5px; border-width: 1px;">Total Exposure Time

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td class="align-center" style="vertical-align: middle; height: 29px; border-width: 1px;">22/8/2022

</td><td class="align-center" style="vertical-align: middle; height: 29px; border-width: 1px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Class 5</span>

</td><td class="align-center" style="vertical-align: middle; height: 29px; border-width: 1px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2h (60x2min)</span>

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td class="align-center" style="vertical-align: middle; height: 29px; border-width: 1px;">22/8/2023

</td><td class="align-center" style="vertical-align: middle; height: 29px; border-width: 1px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Class 5</span>

</td><td class="align-center" style="vertical-align: middle; height: 29px; border-width: 1px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> 1h20min (180x1min)</span>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

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**Captured media**

#### **Photographs**

[![picture-72ddf138cc5f8444f240050d923cbdca-original.jpg](https://astro.afonsomuralha.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/picture-72ddf138cc5f8444f240050d923cbdca-original.jpg)](https://astro.afonsomuralha.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/picture-72ddf138cc5f8444f240050d923cbdca-original.jpg)

> **My best photo of the Andromeda galaxy -** [Full resolution picture available on Telescopius](https://telescopius.com/pictures/view/160129/deep_sky/m-110/by-afonso_muralha?gallery_order=is_featured&gallery_object_search_in_description=false&gallery_object_types=&gallery_filter_type_ids=&gallery_page=1&gallery_user_id=39078#annotated=off)  
> **Details**:  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Date**: 22/Aug/2022  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Exposures**: 80x1min Lights, 10x1min Darks  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**ISO**: 1600  
> **Equipment**:  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Camera**: Canon 6D  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Telescope**: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Mount**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">: EQ5 modified with Onstep </span>