About the Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is our nearest major galactic neighbour, located approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth. This Andromeda Galaxy astrophotography project captures our neighbouring spiral galaxy using the Askar 71F apochromatic refractor at 490mm focal length, paired with a ZWO ASI2600MC Pro colour camera. Captured over four nights in October 2026, the image combines 221 exposures of 120 seconds, giving a total integration time of 7 hours and 22 minutes.Andromeda is an enormous island of stars, gas, dust and dark matter, containing an estimated trillion stars and spanning around 220,000 light-years. The light captured in this image began its journey towards Earth around 2.5 million years ago, long before modern humans existed.At its heart lies a supermassive black hole, estimated to have a mass around 100 million times that of our Sun. Surrounding it is a densely packed central bulge dominated by older stars, while the galaxy's spiral arms contain clouds of gas and dust where new stars form. The dark lanes visible across the disc are dense concentrations of interstellar dust, silhouetted against the combined light of billions of distant stars. Andromeda also has numerous smaller companion galaxies, including M32 and M110, which are gravitationally associated with it.Andromeda and the Milky Way are the two largest galaxies in the Local Group, a collection of galaxies held together by gravity. For decades, astronomers expected the two galaxies to collide and eventually merge in around four to five billion years. More recent research suggests that this outcome is less certain than previously thought. Regardless of their eventual fate, Andromeda offers us an extraordinary opportunity to study a galaxy beyond our own and glimpse a distant chapter in the history of the Universe.I chose Andromeda because it is a target that almost every astrophotographer attempts at some point. For this project, I wanted to go beyond simply capturing it and create an image that I could genuinely call my own. I could never expect to compete with professional space-telescope imagery, such as this remarkable Hubble image, but it is rewarding to see how much detail can be captured from my own back garden using a relatively compact telescope.This project has been a valuable learning experience, particularly when processing Andromeda's bright central core while bringing out the subtle detail and colour in its spiral arms. It has also shown me what the Askar 71F can achieve on one of the most popular targets in astrophotography.
Capturing the Andromeda Galaxy
Captured over four nights in October 2026, this image comprises 221 exposures of 120 seconds each, giving a total integration time of 7 hours and 22 minutes. Imaging took place under dark skies, with the Moon having set and no longer affecting the session, allowing me to make the most of the available conditions.Andromeda was a relatively straightforward target to locate and frame, which is probably one of the reasons it is so popular with beginners. It was certainly part of the appeal for me when I first started astrophotography. However, I wanted to take the time to capture enough detail and depth to produce an image that I could be proud of and genuinely call my own.
Equipment Used for Andromeda Galaxy
The image was captured using an Askar 71F telescope at 490mm focal length, mounted on a Sky-Watcher EQ-AL55i PRO. Imaging was performed with a cooled ZWO ASI2600MC P colour camera. I did not use any filters.
Guiding was provided by a ZWO 30mm F5 APO Mini Guide Scope, with acquisition and mount control handled through the ZWO ASIAIR Mini.
Processing Andromeda Galaxy
The processing workflow was a little different this time. I started with SPCC (Spectrophotometric Color Calibration), followed by Seiti Astro’s Automatic Background Extraction script to remove a minor background gradient. I then used Multi-Scale Adaptive Stretch to bring out the galaxy’s structure, before applying a Range Selection mask to protect the bright core.
With the core isolated, I used Curves adjustments to reveal more of the detail and structure in the surrounding disc. Colour selection masks allowed me to refine the galaxy’s different colour regions, while RC-Astro’s BlurXTerminator was used to enhance non-stellar detail and improve the definition of the galaxy’s structure.
Andromeda has proved a challenging image to process, particularly because of the enormous brightness difference between its central core and its much fainter outer regions. Bringing out the colour, dust lanes and subtle texture without losing detail in the core has been a balancing act throughout.
I’m sure my processing skills will continue to improve with experience, but this is my third attempt at Andromeda, and I’m happy with the result. For now, this is an image I’m proud to call my own.
Before & After
I can remember being so impressed with the first image I took of Andromeda. Comparing that with the image I took recently shows a huge difference. The first attempt was taken with an old Canon SLR camera. I tried in vain to process it in Photoshop and you can see from the result I didnt get very far.
My Andromeda: First Attempt vs Later Processing
Drag the slider to compare both versions.
My early astrophotography processing compared with a later attempt. Learning to control the stretch, manage the bright galactic core and bring out detail has been a significant part of my PixInsight journey.
Andromeda Galaxy: Close-Up Details
Detailed crops and close-up views highlighting features within the final image. Click on each below.
