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Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
This image is a stunning astrophotograph of Messier 31 (M31), the Andromeda Galaxy.
Main Subject: The large, bright object at the center-right of the frame is the Andromeda Galaxy, our closest major galactic neighbor at about 2.5 million light-years away. Its glowing yellow-white core is clearly visible, surrounded by sprawling spiral arms filled with billions of stars, dust lanes, and star-forming regions.
Companion Galaxies: Two smaller elliptical galaxies can also be seen—M32 (appearing as a small fuzzy sphere just below Andromeda’s core) and M110 (toward the lower right, elongated in shape). These are satellite galaxies gravitationally bound to Andromeda.
Background: The entire scene is set against a rich starfield of our own Milky Way, with countless stars scattered across the image.
The photo captures not only the detail of Andromeda’s spiral arms but also the depth of the universe—hinting at the vast number of galaxies and stars beyond our own.
This image is a stunning astrophotograph of Messier 31 (M31), the Andromeda Galaxy.
Main Subject: The large, bright object at the center-right of the frame is the Andromeda Galaxy, our closest major galactic neighbor at about 2.5 million light-years away. Its glowing yellow-white core is clearly visible, surrounded by sprawling spiral arms filled with billions of stars, dust lanes, and star-forming regions.
Companion Galaxies: Two smaller elliptical galaxies can also be seen—M32 (appearing as a small fuzzy sphere just below Andromeda’s core) and M110 (toward the lower right, elongated in shape). These are satellite galaxies gravitationally bound to Andromeda.
Background: The entire scene is set against a rich starfield of our own Milky Way, with countless stars scattered across the image.
The photo captures not only the detail of Andromeda’s spiral arms but also the depth of the universe—hinting at the vast number of galaxies and stars beyond our own.