🌟 A Bright, Compact Galaxy in a Rich Field
M32’s core is small, round, and high in surface brightness, making it easy to spot even in modest telescopes. Its compactness makes it stand out sharply against the fainter outer halo of M31, offering a visually striking contrast that adds depth to the field.

🌟 A Rare Example of a Dwarf Elliptical
Most elliptical galaxies visible to amateur astronomers are large and diffuse. M32 is an exception—a nearby, bright, and tightly bound dwarf elliptical. Observing it gives a glimpse into a rare galaxy type that is often too faint or distant to enjoy visually.

🌟 Part of a Triple-Galaxy View
When observing M31, you can see M32 and M110 in the same wide-field eyepiece or binocular field. This makes for one of the most accessible multi-galaxy groupings in the sky, showing three very different galaxies—spiral, compact elliptical, and diffuse elliptical—all at once.

🌟 Easy to Find and Identify
Because of its close proximity to the core of M31, M32 is very easy to locate. It appears just south of Andromeda’s nucleus, and its round, star-like glow stands apart from the galaxy’s soft disk, making it a convenient and satisfying target even for beginners.

🌟 Excellent in Small Telescopes and Binoculars
M32’s brightness and compact size mean it shows up well in small scopes and quality binoculars. Even in urban skies, it can often be glimpsed when M31 is visible, making it one of the more accessible galaxies for light-polluted locations.

🌟 Insight into Galactic Interaction
Though not visible through amateur instruments, M32 is thought to be interacting gravitationally with M31, possibly having lost its outer stars during close encounters. Knowing this adds context and intrigue to your observation—you’re looking at a galaxy shaped by cosmic tides.

Find the large Great Square of Pegasus asterism. In fall evenings, it can be found in the eastern sky. The top left star of the square is Alpheratz (+2.05), which technically belongs to the constellation Andromeda.

Hop four times from Alpheratz (+2.05) to Delta Andromedae (+3.26) to Mirach (+2.07) to Mu Andromedae (+3.86) and finally to Nu Andromedae (+4.53). If you can't see Nu Andromedae, simply estimate its position.

Using a binocular, or telescope finder, point to Nu Andromedae. Using a binocular or low-powered eyepiece, hop just 1.5° to M32. With binoculars or a low powered eyepiece, it is possible to view M110, M31 and M32 together. Explore!

✅ Use Low Power to Frame the Trio
Start with a wide-field eyepiece to capture Messier 32, M31, and M110 in the same view. M32 will appear just south of Andromeda’s bright core as a round, compact glow with a noticeably higher surface brightness.

✅ Look for the “Starlike” Core
M32’s dense core gives it a starlike appearance at first glance. Watch for a small, sharply defined, circular glow—this sets it apart from the broader, more diffuse features of M31’s disk.

✅ Observe from Moderate to Dark Skies
While M32 is bright, darker skies help separate it from Andromeda’s background light. The improved contrast makes it easier to isolate and appreciate its distinct shape.

✅ Try Averted Vision for Detail
Looking slightly off to the side of M32 can make it stand out more clearly from M31’s halo, especially in smaller scopes. This technique helps emphasize its compact structure.

✅ Use Binoculars to Spot It in Context
In quality binoculars under dark skies, M32 can be glimpsed alongside M31’s core. While it won’t show structure, spotting it adds depth to the view and sets the stage for telescopic follow-up.

✅ Compare with M110
After observing M32, shift your view to M110 on the opposite side of M31. The contrast between M32’s tight, bright form and M110’s diffuse shape makes both galaxies more memorable.

❌ Naked Eye
With the naked eye, Messier 32 is not visible. Even under the darkest skies, it’s too faint and too close to the bright core of the Andromeda Galaxy to be distinguished without optical aid.

✅ Binoculars
In binoculars, M32 may be glimpsed as a tiny, fuzzy patch just below the core of M31 under dark conditions. It appears as a small bump or enhancement near the brighter glow of Andromeda but lacks clear shape or separation unless skies are very dark and the optics are steady.

✅ Small Telescope
Through a small telescope, M32 stands out clearly as a round, compact glow just south of M31’s nucleus. Its high surface brightness and well-defined shape make it look almost starlike at first, but with a distinct fuzzy halo. The contrast with M31’s broad, diffuse disk makes it easy to identify.

✅ Medium Telescope
In a medium telescope, the core of M32 appears sharper and more concentrated, with a soft outer edge that blends gradually into the background. Its separation from M31 becomes more apparent, and the difference in structure between the bright elliptical M32 and the spiral arms of M31 adds to the visual interest.

✅ Large Telescope
With a large telescope, M32 becomes a strikingly compact elliptical galaxy. Its high brightness remains, but the outer halo becomes more textured, and the transition from its core to edge becomes more nuanced. The galaxy maintains its small, concentrated form, but the improved resolution adds subtle depth to its otherwise featureless glow.

🟣 In Bortle 1–2 skies, Messier 32 is easy to distinguish from the bright core of the Andromeda Galaxy. Its compact, round glow stands out clearly just south of M31’s nucleus, with a bright core and a well-defined edge.

🔵 Under Bortle 3–4 skies, M32 remains visible and distinct, though the background glow of M31 is slightly reduced. Its separation and contrast are still strong, and it remains an easy companion to spot in wide-field views.

🟡 In Bortle 5–6 conditions, M32 becomes less prominent. The glow of M31 is dimmed, and M32 blends more into the surrounding field. It may still be visible with careful observation, but appears softer and less defined.

🟠 Under Bortle 7+ skies, light pollution washes out most of M31’s extended glow, and M32 becomes difficult to identify. It may appear as a faint, indistinct blur or be lost entirely in the skyglow, especially in smaller optics.