Sky Safari of the Constellation Andromeda

Sky Safari of the Constellation Andromeda

Labelled All-sky View

Caldwell 23 (NGC 891) – T1 hm

Spiral Galaxy

Distance 30 million LY

Diameter 120,000 LY

Discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1783

Dust lane is about 1500 LY across.

The Milky Way Galaxy would look similar to this one if viewed edge-on from a similar distance.

Caldwell 23 (NGC 891) – T2 wf

Spiral Galaxy


Diameter 120,000 LY


In this wide field view, several faint galaxies are visible at bottom left, distance approximately 200 million LY.

Caldwell 23 (NGC 891) – T2 wf

Spiral Galaxy


Diameter 120,000 LY


Galaxies at bottom left (distance approximately 200 million LY) are labelled.

NGC 404 “Mirach’s Ghost” – T1 hm

Elliptical Galaxy


Diameter 30,000 LY

Discovered by William Herschel in 1784

Galaxy is the fuzzy object left of center

Bright star at bottom left is Mirach (Beta Andromedae), type M0 red giant, distance 200 LY. (Faint reddish arc above Mirach is just glare from this very bright star.)

NGC 404 “Mirach’s Ghost” – T1 wf

Elliptical Galaxy


Diameter 30,000 LY


In this wide-field view, Mirach is seen at the center, and NGC 404 is a faint fuzzy spot above/right of Mirach.

Golf Ball Cluster (NGC 752) – T1 wf

Open Star Cluster

Distance 1000 LY

Diameter 15 LY

Age 1 billion years

Discovered by Giovanni Hodierna in 1654, later rediscovered by Caroline Herschel in 1783

Galaxy cluster Abell 262 – T1 hm


Diameter of cluster: 10 million LY (173 arc minutes)

The group of galaxies at the center of this image includes (top to bottom) NGC 703, 708, 705, and 704.

NGC 708, at the left of the group, is the brightest member.

NGC 704 has a companion, NGC 704B.

NGC 709 is slightly above/left of center

NGC 714 is at the left edge of image

NGC 700 is at bottom right.

Galaxy cluster Abell 262 (labelled) – T1 hm

Galaxy cluster Abell 262 (centered on NGC 700) – T1 hm



This view is a little west (right) of the labelled view.

NGC 703, 708, 705, and 704 are seen at top left.

NGC 700 is slightly left of center, with LEDA 6911 above center.

LEDA 6928 is below NGC 700

LEDA 6886 is to the right of LEDA 6911

LEDA 6865 (UGC 1319) is towards the right of the picture

Galaxy cluster Abell 262 (centered on NGC 714) – T1 hm



This view is a little east (left) of the labelled view.

NGC 714 is right of center.

NGC 717 is left of center.

Galaxy cluster Abell 262 – T1 wf



The galaxies are very faint in this wide-field image, but the cluster covers an area of 3 degrees (the middle half of the image).

Open cluster NGC 752 can be seen at top edge, left of center.

Open star cluster NGC 956 – T1 hm

Distance unknown

Diameter of cluster: 8 arc minutes (size in LY unknown)

Discovered by John Herschel in 1831

The two bright stars at center are apparently foreground stars, a few hundred light years away.

Open star cluster NGC 956 – T1 wf

Distance unknown

Diameter of cluster: 8 arc minutes (size in LY unknown)

Discovered by John Herschel in 1831

The cluster can be seen at the center of this wide-field image.

At bottom left is open cluster M34, in Perseus.

Open star cluster NGC 7686 – T1 hm

Distance 3000 LY

Diameter 13 LY


Bright stars at center are foreground stars.

Orange star at center is HD 221245, type K5 orange giant, mag 6.2, distance 850 LY

Bright star at right is HD 221203, type K0 orange giant, mag 7.7, distance 1250 LY

Open star cluster NGC 7686 – T1 wf

Distance 3000 LY

Diameter 13 LY


Cluster faintly seen at center of this wide field image.

Blue Snowball (NGC 7662) – T2 hm

Planetary nebula

Distance 4000 LY

Diameter 0.3 LY

Age approximately 1000 years


This nebula exhibits a double ring structure: the inner ring is illuminated by a spherical shock wave, and the outer ring by ionization from the central star.

The bright spots at the sides are FLIERs (Fast Low-Ionization Emission Regions).

Satellite Galaxy M110 – T1 hm

Elliptical galaxy – companion to Andromeda Galaxy M31

Distance 2.5 million LY

Diameter 10,000 LY


(Was included by Messier in his drawing of M31 in 1773, but he did not record it in his list as a separate galaxy.)

Satellite Galaxy M32 – T2 hm

Elliptical galaxy – companion to Andromeda Galaxy M31


Diameter 6000 LY

Discovered by Gillaume le Gentil in 1749, and included by Charles Messier in his catalog in 1773.

Andromeda galaxy M31 – T1 hm

Spiral galaxy


Diameter 135,000 LY

Known since antiquity, was recorded by Persian astronomer Al-Sufi in 964

Charles Messier added M31 and its companion M32 to his list in 1773

This high-mag view shows the core of the galaxy and details of the dust lane

Andromeda galaxy M31 – T2 wf

Spiral galaxy


Diameter 135,000 LY

Charles Messier added M31 and its companion M32 to his list in 1773

This wide-field image shows the spiral arms and dust lanes of M31.

M32 is the fuzzy bright spot at bottom center.

M110 is the faint fuzzy spot at top right.

Sky Safari – A Slooh Production by Kochava Yerushalmit

Technology

Sky Safari of the Constellation Andromeda