M31 and Companion Galaxies

M31, M32, NGC 205, NGC 147, NGC 185

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The Great Andromeda Galaxy (M31) has 4 major galaxy companions, all four can be seen in this telelens photograph. All four of them are elliptical dwarf galaxies. Two of the companions are nearby to M31: M32 is a compact elliptical galaxy of the type cE2 exactly south of the great galaxy's center; NGC 205 (also called M110) is more extended, classified as E5 pec, and located northwest of M31.

Located further away are NGC 147 and NGC 185, those two are dwarf galaxies of the types dE5 and dE3, respectively.

NGC 278 is a spiral galaxy of the type Sb, has a radial velocity of 640 km/s and is therefore not a companion to M31 and not part of the Local Group of Galaxies.

M31 - Great Andromeda Galaxy, Wright-Newtonian photograph.

Exposure Data

Instrument: Nikkor-Q Auto 135mm f/2.8 telephoto lens
F/stop: 5.6
Exposure: 53 minutes
Film: Kodak Ektachrome E200
Date: August 27, 2003
Exposure start: 2:17 MESZ
Location: Ebenwaldhöhe, Lower Austria
Conditions: Visual limiting magnitude 6.1 mag, seeing 2, temperature 16°C, slight to moderate wind, no dew
Autoguider: Meade Pictor 216 XT, max. error: 7
Enhancement: Adobe Photoshop 7.0

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