In the viewfinder of a camera, all you have to do is follow a straight line from that “V” to Mirach and Andromeda is so bright that you should see a faint smudgy blob along the way. The easiest method I've used to find Andromeda is to first find the constellation Cassiopeia, which looks like a large “W.” The right “V” portion forms an arrow that points straight toward another very bright star named Mirach, Andromeda is nearly in between the two. The Constellation Andromeda isn’t as well known to laypeople as Orion, and its position in the night sky is rather isolated from bright stars, making direct spotting nearly impossible without star hopping. But it's not at the top of this list because it's difficult for beginners to find. The Andromeda Galaxy is the largest and brightest nebulous object in the night sky, only a fraction brighter than the Orion nebula. IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) Here are the five best beginner targets for astrophotography: So please consider light travel to improve your results under darker skies. As a beginner, you will not be able to match the superior conditions of a darker site by adding more accumulated exposure time in a higher Bortle zone. If you are unfamiliar with the light pollution in your area you will need to use a Light Pollution Map and find an area nearest you with a Bortle 4 to get similar results. All of the examples below were shot in a Bortle 4 zone. I live in a Bortle 9, but less than 30 minutes away is a Bortle 4. Lastly, please be aware that light pollution has a huge influence on what you will see and the quality of images you will end up with. So don't venture out in “below average” or “poor” conditions and assume you’ll get decent results. This will be the deciding factor in your images. I have my best results, and can literally see objects better in my viewfinder on “above average” nights. The most variation I see in the quality of an imaging session boils down to something called “seeing quality.” You should use an astronomy weather tool like Astrospheric to tell you the quality of the “seeing” on the night of your planned shoot. Your settings will likely be different from mine. They have happened to work for me for the bulk of the images I take. These settings are just examples of where to start. All of the targets listed below were taken using these settings. I very often shoot wide open (maximum aperture), use ISO 1600, and shoot for 90 to 120 seconds at a time, for at least 2-3 hours. Assuming you can polar align your tracker decently, this will allow you to take fewer longer exposures, which will help you out a ton when you go to process them. Next, I want to take a second to share my experience with proper settings. Finally, you’ll need a sturdy tripod, again use what you have, but don’t assume that carbon fiber is king, that old steel Manfrotto tripod that's now collecting dust because it's too heavy will be a better pick than your shiny new carbon fiber one. In the early stages, the camera and lens combo is less important than the tracker itself. It does not matter if you choose a full frame, APS-C, micro four thirds, DSLR, or mirrorless camera. Next, you’ll need a camera and lens with an overall focal length of between 200 and 400mm. I personally use the iOptron Skyguider Pro, but have found the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer to be worthy of a mention as well. First off, you’re going to need a star tracker. Let's first start with what you’ll need to succeed.
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