Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'> Hi everyone, last night i viewed M31 for the first time and was a little disappointed. M31 was a very small fuzzy blur taking up a bit more than 1/4 of my eyepiece (1 degree FOV). All I was seeing was the core of the galaxy. I was also able to spot a very faint M110 but only with averted vision. I have a small telescope (4.5") but I was wondering, would I be able to see more than just the core if I were to find a very dark site? I was at a nearby park, which is actually really affected by light pollution (sky was greyish at 30 degrees). At a place where its dark enough to see the milkyway in detail, would I be able to see a larger, clearer M31?Thanks in advance, Taha Siddiqui <br />Posted by TahaSiddiqui</DIV><br /><br />I myself have viewed Andromeda through my 4.5 inch refracting Celestron, and it's not much to look at. A darker area will help, but not by much. You're better off getting a larger telescope. If you have the money, I would invest in a 8, 10, or 12 inch Dobsonian. I would love to have one of those, but not enough $$ right now <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-frown.gif" border="0" alt="Frown" title="Frown" /> You should be able to get a 10-12 inch Dob for about $1,000-$1,200. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Techies: We do it in the dark. </font></strong></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>"Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.</strong><strong>" -Albert Einstein </strong></font></p> </div>