Here are 2 ways to find the Andromeda galaxy

View larger. | To the eye, in a very dark sky, the Andromeda galaxy looks like a small elongated smudge. This view of Andromeda (upper right of photo) was captured by EarthSky Facebook friend Ted Van at a Montana campsite on an August night. Thank you, Ted!

2 ways to find the Andromeda galaxy

Take a night to drive to a dark sky and find the glorious Andromeda galaxy. It’s the great spiral galaxy next door to our Milky Way and the most distant object you can see with your eye alone. It’s best seen in the evening at this time of year. Most people find the galaxy by star-hopping from the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen, a very noticeable M- or W-shaped pattern on the sky’s dome. You can also find the Andromeda galaxy by star-hopping from the star Alpheratz in the Great Square of Pegasus. Both methods will lead you to the galaxy. See the charts below.

Star-hop from Cassiopeia

Here’s the technique most people use to find the Andromeda galaxy. Just be sure you’re looking in a dark sky. Look northward for the M- or W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia the Queen. Now locate the star Schedar in Cassiopeia. It’s the constellation’s brightest star, and it points to the Andromeda galaxy.

Star-hop from the Great Square of Pegasus

Here’s another way to find the Andromeda galaxy. The constellation Andromeda can be seen as 2 streams of stars extending from one side of the Great Square of Pegasus. See the star Alpheratz? It joins Pegasus to Andromeda Now notice the star Mirach, then Mu Andromedae. An imaginary line drawn through Mirach to Mu points to the Andromeda galaxy.

The importance of a dark sky

Just be aware – bright moonlight or city lights can overwhelm the faint glow of this object. The single most important thing you need to see the galaxy is a dark sky.

What does the galaxy look like to the eye? Assuming you have a dark sky, it appears as a large fuzzy patch – bigger than a full moon in the sky – but vastly fainter and more subtle.

Binoculars enhance the view

Binoculars are an excellent choice for beginners to observe the Andromeda galaxy, because they are so easy to point. As you stand beneath a dark sky, locate the galaxy with your eye first. Then slowly bring the binoculars up to your eyes so that the galaxy comes into binocular view. If that doesn’t work for you, try sweeping the area with your binoculars. Go slowly, and be sure your eyes are dark-adapted. The galaxy will appear as a fuzzy patch to the eye. It’ll appear brighter in binoculars. Can you see that its central region is more concentrated?

With the eye, or with binoculars, or with a backyard telescope, the Andromeda galaxy won’t look like the image below. But it will be beautiful. It’ll take your breath away.

The Andromeda galaxy and 2 satellite galaxies as seen through a powerful telescope. To the eye, the galaxy looks like a fuzzy patch. But it’s an island of stars in space, much like our Milky Way. Image via NOAO.

Bottom line: The neighboring Andromeda galaxy – nearest large spiral galaxy to our Milky Way – will be visible on dark, moonless evenings from now until the beginning of northern spring. Here are two ways to find it.

Read more about the Andromeda galaxy: All you need to know

Find a moonless night: Moon phases for 2021

Deborah Byrd

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About the Author:

Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. “Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers,” she says.

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Here are 2 ways to find the Andromeda galaxy