Capturing the Andromeda Galaxy (M31): A Journey Through Astrophotography

This past weekend, I set out to capture one of the most iconic celestial objects in our night sky: the Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31. As an aspiring astrophotographer, diving into targets like Andromeda is both exciting and a fantastic learning opportunity.

My Gear and Approach

Here's a look at the equipment I used for this imaging session:

Telescope: Skywatcher Quattro 200
Mount: EQ6R Mount
Camera: Nikon D5600 DSLR

For the acquisition, I managed to collect:

25 * 180-second exposures (Lights)
20 * Darks
25 * Bias frames

I initially attempted to use 50 lights, but unfortunately, they were unusable due to the appearance of strange stripes. This is a common hurdle in astrophotography, and I'm still learning how to troubleshoot these issues.

Processing with Siril

All of the acquired data was processed using Siril. My initial attempt to incorporate calibration frames like Darks and Biases led to the aforementioned stripes appearing on one side of the image. I also experimented with flats, but they introduced their own set of issues, resulting in a peculiar striped pattern across the image. I suspect I made an error in how I acquired or applied the flats, and I'm keen to understand what went wrong. Any advice from experienced astrophotographers would be greatly appreciated!

Overcoming Challenges

One of the main challenges I faced was the location of Andromeda from Germany, as it sits very close to the horizon. Despite this, I was eager to try imaging it. I also had some concerns about overexposing the bright core of the galaxy, which is why I opted for 180-second exposures instead of my usual 5-minute subs.

Guiding and Polar Alignment

To ensure sharp images, I'm guiding with a Skywatcher Evoguide 50 and an ASI Mini 120mm guiding camera. While I normally achieve good results with 5-minute exposures using this setup, I was cautious with M31. For polar alignment and image acquisition, I rely on the ASIAir. I've found it to be a game-changer, making the process more intuitive and enjoyable.

Camera Settings

I used an ISO of 400 for this shoot, which has been my go-to setting for all my astrophotography endeavors so far. While I'm a little hesitant to experiment with higher ISOs, I know it's something I'll need to try to push my imaging capabilities further.

Improving Flat Frames

A question arose about my flat frame acquisition. I admit, my method was a bit improvised! I used triangular bandaids from my car and pointed my phone's flashlight about a meter away from the scope. This clearly isn't ideal, and I'm actively looking for recommendations on what to purchase for better flat frames. I've heard good things about LED tracing panels on Amazon, with the suggestion of diffusing the light with paper.

Andromeda Galaxy

Looking Ahead

Despite the challenges, I'm feeling a sense of progress with each imaging session. This was only my fifth picture, and I'm excited to continue learning and improving. I can't wait to see what the night sky holds next and hope to share more celestial wonders with you all soon!