Andromeda Galaxy - M31 - in the H-alpha and O-III narrowband lines
RA Center: 00h42m44s.50
DEC Center: +41°16′08″.4
Date: August 10., 11., 13., 14., 15., 18., 23. & 27. 2023
Location: Braunschweig / Germany (52°14’40.2“N - 10°30’20.8“E)
Telescope: Omegon Pro APO AP 104/650 ED Triplet
- Aperture: 104 mm
- Focal length: 650 mm
Recording camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro
Exposure time: 14h 10´
Frames:
- Astronomik H-alpha CCD 6nm 2": 58×600,″(9h 40′)
- Astronomik OIII CCD 6nm 2": 27×600,″(4h 30′)
Software: Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight, Skylum Luminar AI
The Andromeda Galaxy (M 31) seen through narrow optical filters in red light from hydrogen atoms (H-alpha) and blue ionized oxygen (oxygen III).
The Local Group consists of about 40 galaxies in our cosmic neighborhood and is dominated by the Andromeda Galaxy and our Milky Way. The Andromeda Galaxy was formed 9 billion years ago by the collision of two smaller galaxies. The final merger took place 5.5 billion years ago. The light we see from the Galaxy today was emitted from there 2.5 million years ago. Andromeda and the Milky Way are moving towards each other at a speed of 120 kilometers per second. They will meet in 3 to 4 billion years, so as long as our sun is still alive. After another 3 billion years it will evolve into a huge "new" elliptical galaxy.