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ssavrass t1_jc01mta wrote

Man it is so disappointing that Andromeda is so faint. If we could see it with the naked eye it’d look 5 times bigger than the moon.

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original_4degrees t1_jc08tmu wrote

it's coming this way. just give it a few years.

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dinowand t1_jc3ohx0 wrote

Doesn't matter... We're in the milky way and it's barely visible. The stars are just too far apart and our eyes are not sensitive enough for us to ever see something like this with the naked eye

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WaveofThought t1_jc29bqs wrote

You can see it with the naked eye under dark skies, but only the brighter core, and it's still quite faint.

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Engelgrafik t1_jc34vs1 wrote

I have seen it with my naked eye while cutting through a frozen farm field on a very clear, cold and dark night in northern Germany. It was actually a bit of an emotional experience.

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I-melted t1_jc1f5tr wrote

Is this true? This is a head-melter.

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pestapokalypse t1_jc1jxbu wrote

Yep! This composite illustrates its relative size pretty well. Andromeda would dominate the night sky.

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I-melted t1_jc1v5bz wrote

Oh dammit. That would be so cool.

I’m ashamed for not knowing, but where would I find it in the sky? In relation to the more obvious constellations?

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WaveofThought t1_jc297ue wrote

Its in the constellation Andromeda. I always find it by looking from the star Mirach to mu Andromidae, and following that path to about double its length.

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14domino t1_jc2nz0f wrote

Can someone who’s good at math tell me how big andromeda would have to be in the sky before it is this bright? (ie i assume in a few billion years as it gets closer it would get brighter and bigger)

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ElReptil t1_jc2qsbt wrote

> i assume in a few billion years as it gets closer it would get brighter and bigger

Bigger yes, but the surface brightness would actually stay the same (until you start to resolve individual stars). You would probably still be able to see more than you do now because the eye is better at seeing dim, large objects.

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