Absolutely buzzing! I managed, on my second attempt, to bag the globular cluster in the Andromeda Galaxy some 2.5MLY away. 

Gosh what a challenge with our humid skies! I think this must be one of the most challenging objects I have observed. It required averted vision and high power (x350) to separate the globular from the adjacent field stars.

In all honesty, the view was nothing special, but it felt pretty inspiring knowing this was a deep sky object not in our own galaxy but across intergalactic space. 

Interestingly, there is research to show that this is not a globular but the core of a galaxy that lost its outer starfields in a collision with the Andromeda Galaxy.  How amazing is that?

Video is here: 

Celestron C11

Skywatcher EQ6

Binoviewer and 13mm Naglers

APM 20mm 100 degree eyepieces

Sketching kit

Sky Safari Pro

View at x140, note the two stars alongside the dim cluster
High power view at x250. Note there are two faint stars immediately adjacent to the globular while the two field stars in the low power view, above, are now clearly separated

 

 

 

#Visualastronomy #andromedagalaxy #deepskyobserving #celestrontelescope #spaceart #astrosketch #ukastronomy