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M110
elliptical galaxy in Andromeda
M110 is a larger, fainter elliptical companion of the Andromeda Galaxy, lying on the opposite side of M31 from M32. It has low surface brightness, so it barely shows in short exposures and needs a dark sky.
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// Key facts
- Catalog
- M110
- Type
- elliptical galaxy
- Constellation
- Andromeda
- Size
- 19′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 8.5
- Distance
- about 2.7 million light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- Sep
- Typical prime months
- Jul to Dec
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Filter
- No filter (broadband); a light-pollution filter is optional
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How to image M110
- It is 19 arcminutes across and often photographed as part of a wide M31 frame.
- Its low surface brightness means a dark sky and a longer total exposure make the biggest difference.
- Moonlight washes it out quickly, so plan for a moonless night.
Framing: what focal length?
M110 is small, so a "60% of the frame" focal length would be impractical. Here is how much of an APS-C frame it covers at common long focal lengths; expect to crop.
| Focal length | Share of the frame width |
|---|---|
| 1,000 mm | about 24% |
| 2,000 mm | about 47% |
| 3,000 mm | about 71% |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point M110 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | 77° | High in the sky |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 87° | High in the sky |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 83° | High in the sky |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 73° | High in the sky |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 13° | Stays low |
Also worth imaging
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