The Andromeda Galaxy is approaching the Milky Way at rate of around 110 kilometres per second (68 mi/s). In late August and early September, begin looking for the galaxy in mid-evening, about midway between your local nightfall and midnight. If finally confirmed, it would be the first ever found extragalactic planet. Viewed 2k times 0 A light year, the distance light travels in 1 year, is approximately 5.9 x 10 ^12 miles. We love your photos and welcome your news tips. Systems Group, In terms of the universe, this truly is "very close by". This galaxy has an elliptical shape, and its orbit passes over the galactic poles of the Milky Way. The binary[c] is two hot blue stars of types O and B. Reveal answer . But the Andromeda galaxy is a whole separate galaxy, even bigger than our Milky Way. Hear about the prediction of the Milky Way colliding with the Andromeda galaxy, which might happen in about four billion years, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Andromeda-Galaxy, Interesting Engineering - Andromeda Galaxy: everything you need to know about our galactic neighbor, Space.com - The Andromeda Galaxy (M31): Location, Characteristics & Images, M31 - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Compare this to the light from Andromeda, which is moving toward us at 186,000 miles per second (300,000 km/s). [105] The most massive of these clusters, identified as Mayall II, nicknamed Globular One, has a greater luminosity than any other known globular cluster in the Local Group of galaxies. Some of them are among the most densely populated globulars ever seen. [131] From the Southern Hemisphere the Andromeda Galaxy is visible between October and December, best viewed from as far north as possible. Light As A Cosmic Time Machine by Andrew Fraknoi - PBS Simulations show that the smaller galaxy passed through the disk of the Andromeda Galaxy along the latter's polar axis. [83], Close examination of the inner region of the Andromeda Galaxy with the same telescope also showed a smaller dust ring that is believed to have been caused by the interaction with M32 more than 200 million years ago. However, even a small angle between Andromeda and the Milky Way will affect when and how the two galaxies collide, which stars will be flung out of the galaxies, and which will stay in. The Andromeda Galaxy can be seen with the unaided eye, so skywatchers have been observing it for thousands of years.
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