Messier 31 - The Andromeda Galaxy

The Andromeda Galaxy, a mere 2.5 million light-years from my back garden (25/10/2025).

This is my first serious attempt at photographing a deep space object. When your peer into your 'scope, the galaxy is just a fuzzy blur because, unlike a camera, your eye does not integrate what it sees. 

My camera—an entry level DLSR—produces both jpeg and raw images. I was amazed by my first view of a single jpeg image, and by how much I could improve that image just with the editing facilities on my phone. However, processing the raw images with dedicated astrophotography software to remove noise, sensor imperfections and light pollution left me with an image that blew me away.

I had to wait a long time for clear skies (not unusual where I live) but it was well worth it. 

Equipment

Telescope: Sky-watcher 130PDS on EQM-35 equatorial mount with SynScan GoTo
Camera: Nikon D3500 DSLR, controlled with qDslrDashboard running on my Samsung Galaxy A41 phone.
Processing Software: Siril with Starnet++, GIMP

Exposures

Lights: 12 x 2m ISO 800
Darks: 12 x 2m ISO 800
Flats: 12 x 1/500s ISO 800
Dark Flats: 12  x 1/500 ISO 800