The Andromeda Galaxy - a work in Progress

Messier 31 - The Andromeda Galaxy with attendant galaxies M32 (above and left) and M110 (below and right) Credit: Pip Stakkert 

"The Andromeda Galaxy was directly overhead the Jodrell Plank Observatory when the series of images were taken using the 127 mm. Meade Apo-refractor with a 0.6 focal reducer and field flattener. The 3 and 1 minute exposure images at ISO800 were obtained, using an unmodded Canon 600D DSLR, early last month in October 2018. The images were stacked using DeepSkyStacker software. This is an image in progress as many more exposures will be required to bring out the considerable detail that can be obtained with good weather and patience. It is incredible to think that this galaxy, at a distance of 2.5 million light years from Earth, may be seen with the unaided eye. After the street lights go out at midnight in Lowestoft and on a clear moonless night the Andromeda Galaxy can be seen as a faint smudge of light.  Messier 31 contains an estimated one trillion stars and is moving towards the Milky Way at approximately 300 km/second. It is predicted to collide and combine with the Milky Way in about 4 billion years time. Due to the great distances between stars there is little chance of actual collisions but there is a small probability that gravitational disturbance could lead to the ejection of the solar system from the Milky Way. It is thought that when the two spiral galaxies interact they will combine to create on giant elliptical or large disc galaxy". Kurt Thrust - acting CEO and current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

"The Andromeda Galaxy has a retinue of Globular Star Clusters that can be seen through amateur and professional telescopes. Some of what appear to be very faint stars in the above image are in fact globular star clusters similar to those which are, through gravitation, associated with our Milky Way".
Archie Mendes - theoretical physicist and mathematician.

The amazing American amateur astronomer and astro-imager, Robert Gendler, has created annotated mosaic images showing the globular star clusters associated with M31 - follow the link:

http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/M31NMmosaicglobs.html