My Notes: (08/26/2024 00:46) Like M110, M32 is a freebee when you photograph M31. One simply can’t photograph the Andromeda Galaxy in its entirety without also getting M32. I could have just used the older image I took of M31, but decided to try photographing it with my Nikon Z8 and Nikkor 800mm f6.3 lens at the same time I photographed M2 & M16 to see if I could get any more detail. The moon was rising and washing out the blacks a bit and I used the new Siril editing process on this image. The stars were getting pretty wavy so I kept the shutter speed low. The contrast isn’t as strong, but I definitely like the better gradation and feel I’m capable of getting something spectacular with this setup.

However, I’m still very impressed with the amount of detail I was able to get in my first image of Andromeda taken with my older gear and tracker. I’m wondering how much of the lack of contrast in this new image was due to the washout from the moon. They were about the same amount of exposure time, but this new one was at ISO 1600 on a Full Frame Sensor and the old one was at ISO 800 on a Crop Sensor. I plan to revisit this set of 3 objects again on a moonless night.

On a personal note, the discover of this galaxy has one of the longest names I’ve ever read: Guillaume-Joseph-Hyacinthe-Jean-Baptiste Le Gentil de la Galaziere.

Le Gentil Notes: (Oct. 29th, 1749) “While observing the Andromeda Nebula with a fine 18-foot telescope … I saw another small nebula, about one minute in diameter which appeared to throw out two small rays; one to the right and the other to the left.”

Messier Notes: (Aug. 3rd, 1764) “Small nebula without a star. Round, much fainter than M 31.” Messier had first seen it in 1757, but his journal entry is from 1764, noting there was no change.