Starwatch: how to find the Andromeda Galaxy

Starwatch Andromeda

This week presents a true challenge for naked-eye sky watchers – but a real feather in the cap of anyone who achieves it. The Andromeda Galaxy is a vast collection of stars. Estimates range from a few hundred thousand stars to a trillion. At 2.5 million light years away, it is the most distant thing you can see with the naked eye but you need a dark site, well away from any street lamps. And you need to wait for your eyes to become fully adjusted to the dark. This usually takes about 30-40 minutes during which you must not look at any light source. The chart shows the position of Andromeda at midnight on 2 November 2018. One of the easiest ways to locate the galaxy is to “star hop”. Find Cassiopeia, this is a W-shaped constellation that appears almost directly overhead at this time of year. Of the two V shapes that make up the constellation, one is deeper than the other. The deep V points at the galaxy. Under excellent sky conditions and with some patience, a hazy spot about the size of the full moon will reveal itself.