How do I find the Andromeda Galaxy with binoculars?
Get the right equipment and conditions
Any binoculars with 7x to 10x magnification and objective lenses of 42mm or larger will work, but 10x50s are ideal. You need a dark sky away from city lights; the galaxy is visible to the naked eye under truly dark skies, but binoculars help a lot. A reclining chair or blanket makes scanning the sky more comfortable.
Check a star chart or app to confirm the galaxy's position for your date and time. It is highest in the evening sky in autumn for Northern Hemisphere observers, but it can be seen at other times too.
- Use 7x50 or 10x50 binoculars.
- Find a dark sky location.
- Use a star chart or app.
- Observe when Andromeda is high in the sky.
Star hop to the galaxy
First, locate the Great Square of Pegasus, a large square of four stars. From the square's upper-left star, Alpheratz, count two stars to the left (west) along the chain of Andromeda. Then look above the second star for a fainter star, Mu Andromedae. The galaxy lies just northwest of Mu Andromedae.
In binoculars, the Andromeda Galaxy appears as a faint, elongated smudge about the size of the full moon. It is best seen with averted vision. Don't expect to see spiral arms; that requires a telescope and dark skies.
- Find the Great Square of Pegasus.
- Start at Alpheratz and move west two stars.
- Look above the second star for Mu Andromedae.
- Scan just northwest of Mu for the smudge.
Common mistakes
- Expecting to see a bright, colorful spiral like in photographs; it appears as a faint gray smudge.
- Observing from a light-polluted area, which makes the galaxy nearly impossible to see.
- Confusing the Andromeda Galaxy with the nearby Triangulum Galaxy, which is smaller and fainter.
