Andromeda Galaxy

hi

just wondering how good should i see andromeda in my etx 70 scope, its verry verry faint.

This image is kinda what i see in my scope. Is this as good as it can get, or can it get better under better conditions with my scope?

yes Eirik.....the Andromeda Galaxy shows no detail...not even in my 12" Dob...it just looks like a faint halo

ok, that was my next question How it would be with a scope that gathers more light.

I was also trying for the whirlpool galaxy tonight, but couldnt see/find? it at all. But witnessed a meteor and tracked it with the scope for verry long when i was looking for whirlpool

Eirik,

I have to disagree with comet hunter to a point. In light polluted skies M31 shows little but the central bright hub. However from reasonably dark skies (and with a larger scope) there is a lot to be discerned including two dark and some mottled features, including NGC 206 a brighter starcloud in M31. I have seen these on many occassions even in an 8 inch scope from dark skies.

The key is dark skies and M31 being reasonably high up. However in your 70mm I wouldnt expect too much.

This photo was taken with an 80mm scope (granted a semi-apochromatic refractor) but from light polluted skies. I have seen M31 not looking too dissimilar to this with a larger scope from dark skies.

webtreatz.com/component/option,com_zoom/...geNo,2/key,12/hit,1/

just wondering how good should i see andromeda in my etx 70 scope, its verry verry faint.This image is kinda what i see in my scope. Is this as good as it can get, or can it get better under better conditions with my scope?

Although a very prominent galaxy, M31 is not a particularly great sight in small telescopes with relatively small FOVs as it so large spanning a few degrees across. Binoculars and widefield scopes are better choices of instrument. I can only see the barest hint of the disk in that image and you should certainly see it much clearer (in addition to the core) with your 70mm scope under good conditions.

6-inch telescopes should show the main dust lane north of M31's core under dark skies and that's when M31 becomes more interesting. 8-inch telescopes should show the second parallel dust lane slightly further out. There's a third dust lane on the southern side of the core but that requires even more aperture.

I guess this is the very reason people get into astrophotography...