Andromeda Galaxy group close-up (M 31, M 32, M 110)

clic for 35% size 1377 x 918 (350 kB)

clic here for 70% size 2753 x 1835 (1050 kB)


About this Image

The famous Andromeda galaxy (M 31) is our nearest large neighbor galaxy, forming the Local Group of galaxies together with its companions the interacting M 32 (right of center) and M 110 (left of center), two bright dwarf elliptical galaxies), our Milky Way and its companions, M33, and others.

The distance to M 31 is approx. 2.5 million light years, the distance to M 110 is closer to us.
The grainy structure in M 31 and M 110 results from the just resolved stars of the galaxy. A bright blue belt of starforming regions spans around M 31, a cluster of hot young stars is NGC 206 at top of the center.
North is down.

Below you see a close-up of the center with special processing to show the central complex dust lanes.

clic for 70% size 1423 x 961 (380 kB)


Technical Details
Optics

16" cassegrain in corrected prime focus at f/3

Mount MK-100 GEM
Camera SBIG STL-11000M at -20C, internal filter wheel
Filters Astronomik LRGB
Date Sep 15-25, 2005.
Location Wildon/Austria
Sky Conditions mag 5 sky, fair transparency, temperature 15 C,
Exposure LRGB= 180:70:50:100 min (10-minute sub-exposures)
all 1x1.
Processing Image aquisition and calibration in Maxim DL 4.11; DDP in ImagesPlus;
Photoshop: Curves, color balance, light unsharp mask;