The large “W” shape of Cassiopeia hovers high above in autumn skies. Joining many of the deep-sky gems in this constellation is the beautifully red carbon star VX Andromedae.
As a variable star, VX And shines between magnitude 7.5 and 9.7 over 375 days, so a telescope will be needed to view it well. And as you view it, just ponder that it lies more than 1,200 light years away from us.
My Observations
| Date | November 25, 2023 |
| Time | 6:10 p.m. |
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Magnification | 169x |
| Scope | Meade 8″ SCT |
| Eyepiece | 12mm |
| Seeing | Above Average |
| Transparency | Above Average |
The temperature right now hovers around freezing, and the humidity is high. As I look at the moon near Jupiter, both are extremely sharp on this icy night. A few minutes ago, I spent time enjoying the carbon star WZ Cass. To add another star to my carbon collection, I made my way to Andromeda to view this one. From what I can tell at the moment, it appears VX And is a touch redder than WZ Cass.
Key Stats
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Best Viewing | Autumn |
| Visual Magnitude | +8.5 |
| Absolute Visual Magnitude | +.53 |
| Distance from Earth | 1284 ly |
| Milky Way Location | Orion Spur |
| My Viewing Grade | B |
| Designations | HD 1546 and HIP 1593 |
Sources and Notes
The banner featuring VX Andromedae in optical light is by David Ritter and was photographed from Edmonton, Canada, on the night of July 27, 2018. This image by David is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Full details are here about the image.
Sketch by Wayne McGraw
The Garden Astronomer 
