Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Andromeda (And)  ·  Contains:  Andromeda Galaxy  ·  M 110  ·  M 31  ·  M 32  ·  NGC 205  ·  NGC 221  ·  NGC 224  ·  The star 32 And
M31 - Andromeda, MarcoPalaferri
M31 - Andromeda
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M31 - Andromeda, MarcoPalaferri
M31 - Andromeda
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Description

M31, also known as the Andromeda Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy located about 2.5 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Andromeda. It is the closest galaxy to our Milky Way and one of the brightest and most observable galaxies in the night sky.M31 is quite large, with an estimated diameter of about 220,000 light-years, roughly twice the size of our galaxy. It contains hundreds of billions of stars, solar systems, and interstellar gas and dust clouds.The Andromeda Galaxy is a spectacular sight to observe through a telescope or even with the naked eye under dark sky conditions. It appears as a bright elongated patch in the sky, with a luminous core surrounded by spiral arms, similar to those of our Milky Way.M31 is part of the Local Group, a group of galaxies that also includes the Milky Way, the Triangulum Galaxy (M33), and several other smaller galaxies. It is the largest and most massive galaxy in the Local Group.Due to its proximity and size, the Andromeda Galaxy is one of the most studied and photographed objects by astronomers. It is a significant research target for understanding galaxy formation and evolution, as well as cosmology of the Universe.Interestingly, due to its approach toward the Milky Way, M31 and our galaxy are moving toward each other at a speed of about 110 kilometers per second. In a few billion years, it is predicted that the two galaxies will merge to form a larger elliptical galaxy.


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M31 - Andromeda, MarcoPalaferri

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