My First Attempt at Capturing the Andromeda Galaxy

Hello fellow space enthusiasts! I'm thrilled to share my very first attempt at capturing the majestic Andromeda Galaxy (M31). As a beginner in the captivating world of astrophotography, this was an exciting challenge, and I'm eager to hear your feedback!

The Setup and the Shoot

This image is the result of just under an hour and a half of integration time. The conditions were favorable: a last quarter moon, and skies boasting Bortle 2/3 transparency. My equipment for this maiden voyage included:

• Telescope: Redcat 51
• Camera: Canon Rebel T7
• Mount: iOptron Skyguider Pro

Here are the acquisition details:

• Lights: 116 x 45 seconds
• Darks: 30 frames
• Bias: 30 frames
• Flats: 30 frames
• ISO: 1600

Processing the Cosmos

Processing this data presented its own set of learning curves. Due to my MacBook's limitations with intensive software like Siril's stacking, I opted to stack the images using Affinity Photo.

All stretching and saturation adjustments were then meticulously handled in Siril, guided by an excellent tutorial from Nico Carver. Finally, star reduction was performed using Affinity Photo. It's a multi-software approach, but I'm pleased with how it turned out for a first-time effort!

The Result

While I'm still very much in the learning phase of processing astrophotography images, I'm incredibly happy with this initial result. My plan is to add more integration time in the future to further refine the details.

I'm always open to constructive criticism and advice from this amazing community. What do you think? Any tips for a budding astrophotographer?

Clear skies!