This is the first part of an LRGB image of M31. I'm awaiting the arrival of new RGB filters so I will complete the image on receipt of the new filters.The
Andromeda Galaxy is a
barred spiral galaxy and is the nearest major galaxy to the
Milky Way, where the
Solar System resides. It was originally named the
Andromeda Nebula and is cataloged as
Messier 31,
M31, and
NGC 224. Andromeda has a diameter of about 46.56
kiloparsecs (152,000
light-years)
[8] and is approximately 765 kpc (2.5 million light-years) from
Earth. The galaxy's name stems from the area of Earth's sky in which it appears, the
constellation of Andromeda, which itself is named after
the princess who was the wife of
Perseus in
Greek mythology.The
virial mass of the Andromeda Galaxy is of the same order of magnitude as that of the Milky Way, at 1
trillionsolar masses (2.0×1042
kilograms). The mass of either galaxy is difficult to estimate with any accuracy, but it was long thought that the Andromeda Galaxy was more massive than the Milky Way by a margin of some 25% to 50%. This has been called into question by early 21st-century studies indicating a possibly lower mass for the Andromeda Galaxy
[11] and a higher mass for the Milky Way.
[12][13] The Andromeda Galaxy has a diameter of about 46.56 kpc (152,000 ly), making it the largest member of the
Local Group of galaxies in terms of extension.The Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies are
expected to collide in around 4–5 billion years,
[14] merging to potentially form a giant
elliptical galaxy[15] or a large
lenticular galaxy.
[16] With an
apparent magnitude of 3.4, the Andromeda Galaxy is among the brightest of the
Messier objects,
[17] and is visible to the
naked eye from Earth on moonless nights,
[18] even when viewed from areas with moderate
light pollution.
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