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Home » Astrophotography

Andromeda Galaxy (M31): How to Photograph with a DSLR Camera

Published: Aug 16, 2018 · Last update: Feb 17, 2023 · Author: Paweł Białecki · 1 Comment

Andromeda Galaxy is one of the most popular fall astrophotography targets worldwide, and no wonder! It's beautiful, bright, and easy to locate in the night sky. If you are a complete beginner in the astrophotography field but would love to take a picture of our neighboring galaxy using a DSLR/mirrorless camera and a telephoto lens or a telescope, here you have the complete guide to photographing the Andromeda Galaxy. P.S. If you are looking for more beginner-friendly astrophotography targets, check out my free astrophotography ebook.

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Learn how to photograph the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) with a simple DSLR camera and a telephoto lens (no telescope required!).
Jump to:
  • Andromeda Galaxy Facts
  • How to Find the Andromeda Galaxy (Location on Sky)
  • Andromeda Galaxy Visibility During the Year
  • Andromeda Galaxy Through a Telephoto Lens
  • Astrophotography Equipment for Photographing the M31
  • Andromeda Galaxy Photography Settings
  • My Progress in Photographing the Andromeda Galaxy
  • Links
  • 💬 Comments

Andromeda Galaxy Facts

Is Andromeda the closest galaxy to the Milky Way?

The Andromeda galaxy is our nearest spiral galaxy neighbor, but the closest galaxy in general to our own is the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy. Also, the M31 is one of the brightest objects in the night sky, meaning you can photograph it quickly (in minutes, not hours).

Can Andromeda Galaxy be seen from Earth?

Yes, even with naked eyes, if you are in a dark place (outside of the city). A pair of good astronomy binoculars is helpful but not mandatory.

ObjectAndromeda galaxy
Object typeSpiral galaxy
Other namesM31, Messier 31, NGC 224
ConstellationAndromeda
RA (right ascension)00h 42m 44.3s
DEC (declination)+41° 16′ 9″
Magnitude3,44
Angular size178 × 63 arcmin
Age10 billion years

How to Find the Andromeda Galaxy (Location on Sky)

The M31 is located in the constellation Andromeda, close to Perseus and Cassiopeia. Finding it is quite easy as the M31 is visible to the naked eye (outside of the city). You can easily observe the Andromeda Galaxy using binoculars.

How to find Andromeda Galaxy map
The easiest way to locate Andromeda Galaxy in the night sky.

If you are unfamiliar with the night sky, I recommend you use software to help you locate astronomical objects. For iPhone and iPad users, I have my astronomy apps for iPhone compilation. If you are not an Apple user, you can use multi-platform apps like Stellarium.

Andromeda Galaxy Visibility During the Year

The M31 is close to the Polaris, meaning is visible almost all year round! Yet the best time to photograph it in the Northern Hemisphere is from late Summer to Winter when the galaxy is high in the sky. Generally, the lower the designated photography object is in the sky, the more work you will have in post-processing and the worse your effects. Higher objects in the sky = less atmosphere and less light pollution. So reserve some time from August to December and shoot the Andromeda galaxy then.

Andromeda Galaxy Through a Telephoto Lens

The biggest surprise for many people is that you don't need to use a telescope to photograph the Andromeda Galaxy! Of course, if you have a small refractor scope, you can use it, and the final picture resolution will be higher. But to reveal some details of the Andromeda Galaxy, the only optics you need is a telephoto lens!

Samyang/Rokinon 135mm F2 mounted on Fuji X-T20
I do almost all of my current wide deep-sky imaging with my Rokinon/Samyang 135mm f/2. It’s fast, razor-sharp, and very affordable. And it will capture the Andromeda galaxy with ease in seconds!

Astrophotography Equipment for Photographing the M31

Camera

Cooled, expensive astronomical CCD cameras are not needed! Thanks to its brightness, Andromeda galaxy is a perfect astrophotography target for simple DSLR and mirrorless cameras. Almost every Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic, and many other cameras from this decade can perfectly capture this galaxy. So don't rush to the photo store; use what you already have.

If you don't yet have any photography gear and are looking for some advice, check out my beginner astrophotography equipment guide.

Lens

As I said, you don't have to have a telescope to photograph the Andromeda galaxy. Of course, it all depends on the level of detail you want to capture. The longer the focal length, the more significant "zoom" you have. But to photograph some level of detail, I recommend a minimum 90mm lens.

Andromeda galaxy single shot, unprocessed.
Fuji X-T20 (APS-C sensor), Rokinon/Samyang 135mm, F/2, ISO 800, 240s, tracked by Fornax Lightrack II. A full resolution (6000 × 4000 px) picture straight from the camera, no crop, no processing. As you can see, a short telephoto lens can reveal this galaxy nicely. And the picture was NOT post-processed in any way. Even a simple one-step background extraction in PixInsight would be a huge improvement.

Equatorial Mount

Using the astrophotography "500 rule" and, let's say, a 100mm lens, theoretically, you can photograph the M31 without an equatorial mount. Calculate exposure time (500/100 = 5s), set a very high ISO, and you are done. But the truth is, you won't capture any details on such a short exposure time like this. Unfortunately, you need an equatorial mount to take a good photo of the Andromeda Galaxy with a DSLR or a mirrorless camera.

I use the Fornax Lightrack II mount, but you can select from many other entry-level options, including iOptron SkyTracker, Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer (or a Mini version), or AstroTrac 360.

A Stable Tripod

I used a cheap tripod for my wide-field (135mm) deep-sky astrophotography. In quiet, non-windy conditions, it worked. But any slight breeze appeared, and my exposures were blurred. Today I use a very stable Manfrotto 475B, and those annoying nights are gone.

An Intervalometer (Optional)

To take a high-quality astro picture, you must stack many exposures into one frame. You can do, let's say, 40 exposures manually. But you can plug an intervalometer into your camera, program it to take the exposures you want, and chill on the chair and watch the night sky when your rig is photographing on autopilot for you. I highly recommend using an intervalometer for any astrophotography work.

Andromeda Galaxy Photography Settings

Generally, camera settings for deep-sky astrophotography depend on many factors:

  • Camera's sensor noise
  • Lens focal length
  • Lens aperture
  • Equatorial mount Periodic Error
  • Guiding

I cannot tell you what exact settings you should set for your camera. But I can give you a starting point to experiment with:

Exposure time2 minutes (120 seconds)
ISO800
Aperture2.0

If you have a 2.8 lens, set ISO to 1600 OR extend the exposure time to 4 minutes (240s). Also, check twice that you shoot in the RAW mode; that way, you will get the maximum quality. JPGs are not as good as RAWs.

My Progress in Photographing the Andromeda Galaxy

Milky Way
One of my very first astrophotos. A wide-field (12mm lens) view of the Milky Way, 30 seconds, untracked. The Andromeda Galaxy is in the upper center (that orange smudge).
First tests of my 135mm lens from a city center.
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda galaxy on 135mm focal length. Fornax Lightrack II, Fuji X-T20, NiSi Natural Night filter, Samyang 135mm, F/2, ISO 800, 120s. A stack of 25 light frames by Starry Sky Stacker, processed in Affinity Photo. My first serious picture of the M31.
Andromeda galaxy with SMC/Super Takumar 200mm F/4
Another attempt on the Andromeda galaxy, this time with SMC/Super Takumar 200mm F/4. It has a slightly longer focal length, but it is still not perfect for this target.

Andromeda Galaxy through a telescope

As you can have excellent results with a telephoto lens, using a small APO telescope will set the game to a whole new level.

Andromeda galaxy (M31)
My first picture of the Andromeda Galaxy was captured with the SkyWatcher Evostar 72ED telescope, Fuji X-T20, Fornax Lightrack II, and Orion SkyGlow Imaging Filter. 16 x 120s, ISO 3200, 18 dark frames. Stacked in Starry Sky Stacker, post-processed in Affinity Photo (crop, levels, curves, saturation, white balance, sharpening, denoising).
My latest and final image of the Andromeda galaxy for the 2018/2019 astrophotography season. The identical photons were captured as in the picture above but fully reprocessed in PixInsight.

Links

My Fuji X-T20 Astrophotography Review

Andromeda, as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope on ESA

More Astrophotography

  • astrophotography acronyms dictionary. Overhead view of astrophotography gear on a dark starry background, including telescope, filters, guide camera, and red flashlight. flat lay of astrophotography equipment on dark starry background, labeled items like telescope, filter wheel, guide camera, star chart, red flashlight, clean overhead view, no text, high detail, night sky theme
    Astrophotography Acronyms: A to Z Astro Imaging Dictionary
  • Astrophotography Targets by Month Full List
    Astrophotography Targets by Month – Best List for Beginners
  • Fall Astrophotography: The 7 Best Autumn Targets for Beginners
  • Dumbbell Nebula (M27): How to Photograph with a DSLR Camera

Comments

  1. abdo says

    May 17, 2020 at 1:40 am

    I'm buying m21 for long exposure astrophotography and I'm wondering if I got the m31 would it make a noticeable difference

    m21 camera
    48 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF

    m31 camera
    64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF

    Reply

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Paweł Białecki, the author behind Astro Photons
Paweł Białecki

I’m Paweł Białecki — an astrophotographer and indie app developer who’s been exploring the night sky for over a decade. Here on Astro Photons, I share practical guides, cosmic insights, and deep-sky photos to help you enjoy and understand our universe — no telescope degree required.

This blog is part of my personal mission to make astronomy more approachable. I write for beginners, hobbyists, and curious stargazers who want real, useful advice — not just textbook definitions. All guides are based on hands-on experience, actual night sky photography, and a genuine love for the cosmos.

I also build simple, helpful tools for fellow science enthusiasts — like UnitToolbox, a universal unit converter made to work beautifully on any device.

More about me →

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