Expert: Paul Wagner - 3/22/2009

Question
Dear Expert:

What are the minimum requirements in terms of mirror diameter and magnification the view the Andromeda galaxy in a telescope.

Thank you.

Answer
Hi Randy

This is a great question--because under really dark skies, you can see this galaxy with your naked eye!  I have certainly seen it with my naked eye at 6,000 feet in King's Canyon National Park.  

Do you want to see it the way it looks in those wonderful photos?  Then you not only need a big telescope ( 16 inches + ) but you also need time-lapse photography.  Those images are taken over many minutes...and some of them are also taken in many photos, and then pieced together to get the best overall image.

My favorite view is with some very good 10X50 binoculars at high  elevation in dark skies--the fuzzy cloud of this galaxy is larger than the moon!

Paul Wagner