Behold the Majesty of the Andromeda Galaxy!
Astrophotography is a journey of patience, dedication, and a touch of magic. Today, we're thrilled to share a truly breathtaking capture of our closest galactic neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31).
This incredible image is the result of an ambitious imaging session, pushing the limits of what can be achieved even with untracked equipment. The photographer spent just under two hours under the beautiful night sky, utilizing a Canon T6i with a 135mm f/2 lens. The sheer volume of data collected – nearly 10,000 individual exposures – is astounding!
The Scale of Data: A Glimpse Behind the Scenes
For those curious about the technical aspects, gathering such a vast dataset certainly presents its challenges. When asked about storage, the response was eye-opening: stacking all 8,500 images at once would require over 1.3 terabytes of space! To manage this, the data was split into two halves, with each half stacked separately, demonstrating a clever approach to handling massive amounts of astronomical data.
This image stands as a testament to the passion and skill involved in capturing the wonders of the cosmos. It's a truly inspiring piece of work, and a favorite for good reason. We can't wait to see what celestial sights are captured next!
Acquisition Details:
- Camera: Canon T6i
- Lens: 135mm f/2
- Exposure Time: 0.8s per exposure
- Total Integration Time: Just under 2 hours
- Tracking: Untracked
- Number of Exposures: Nearly 10,000
