This month provides an opportunity to lean way back (at least from 40oN) and look up toward the zenith for Pegasus the Winged Horse
and Andromeda the Princess. While neither of these constellations contain particularly bright stars, they are still visible from within most light-polluted
urban areas. And if the skies are dark enough to see the familiar square-shaped asterism, 'the Square of Pegasus', then the skies should be dark enough to see
the most distant celestial object visible to the naked-eye. This is the large spiral-shaped galaxy known as either the 'Great Andromeda Galaxy', or by M-31,
from the Messier List of celestial objects. It's distance is calculated to be approximately 2.5 million light years.
To locate these two constellations and M-31, from the northern hemisphere during November, go outside around mid-evening and face south.
Look nearly straight overhead for the 4 stars marking the square shape to find the body of the winged horse. The upper left corner star of the square is the
head of Andromeda and her body consists of a long curved v-shaped pattern of stars that extends toward the left or east.
M-31 appears as a fuzzy out-focus star to the unaided eye. The light you see is the combined light of millions of stars closely packed
within the central part of the galaxy. To find this distant galaxy start with the upper left corner star in the square. Count that as 1, and then count two
more stars to the left, (part of Andromeda). At the 3rd star 'turn right' and again count to three. The 3rd star is actually the galaxy.
