M31

The Great Andromeda Galaxy, almost 3 million light years from earth, containing almost a half trillion stars.   This is the most distant object that can be seen with the naked eye in a dark sky. This series of images dramatically illustrates the difference between the CCD camera and ordinary film. The top image was taken with a 135mm lens and CCD camera, while the bottom one was taken with a 300mm lens and film. The scale difference between the exposures is amazing.

Taken November 17 and 18, 2009, with the ST-8 camera and the Nikkor 135mm F:2.8 lens. Exposure is 30 minutes each filter.

Taken January 23, 2006, with the 402 camera mounted on the Nikkor 300mm lens operating at F:4.5- The exposure was 10 minutes and this is a mosaic of two images stitched together with Maxim DL.

Compare the above images with this one taken on Fuji 800 color negative, a 10 minute exposure at F:4.5 with the 300mm Nikkor lens.