Andromeda and Friends (M31)

The Andromeda Galaxy and its entourage — M32 tucked against the disk and M110 floating below. At 2.5 million light-years it’s the nearest major galaxy to our own, on course to merge with the Milky Way in about four billion years. This one is a speed run: just one hour total, built from hundreds of 15-second RGB subs — a demonstration of how far fast optics and a modern CMOS sensor can get on a bright target.

All renders are in the gallery folder, and the image is on AstroBin.

Acquisition details

• Total integration: 1h — R 20m (80 × 15″), G 20m (80 × 15″), B 20m (80 × 15″)

Equipment

• Telescope: William Optics SpaceCat 61
• Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
• Mount: Sky-Watcher Wave 150i strain-wave mount
• Filters: Baader R/G/B (CCD), 36 mm
• Accessories: MeLE Quieter4 mini PC, Pegasus Astro FocusCube 3
• Software: N.I.N.A., PHD2, Green Swamp Server, PixInsight, Adobe Lightroom Classic