Spiral galaxy
Andromeda Galaxy
M31 — our nearest big neighbour
- Captured
- 4 October 2026
- Captured
- 4 October 2026
1 of 2: 4 October · close view
What is it?
A galaxy like our Milky Way, holding around a trillion stars. It’s the biggest galaxy in our local group.
How far?
2.5 million light years. The light in this photo left Andromeda before modern humans existed.
What can you spot?
The galaxy is much larger than its bright core. Follow the faint disc outwards and look for dark dust lanes cutting across the glow. M32 and M110 are two companion galaxies beside it.
What you’re seeing
The bright centre is the core. The dark streaks are dust in the spiral arms. The two small fuzzy blobs are companion galaxies orbiting Andromeda.
From a dark site you can see Andromeda with your naked eye. It’s the farthest thing most people will ever see without a telescope.
Behind the photo · optional experiment
Turn a galaxy on its edge
Tilt a spiral disc and separate foreground stars from the distant galaxy. A flat photograph hides an enormous amount of depth.
Journey illustration · not a photographTurn the galaxy
This experiment changes the physics or the viewpoint. Your photograph stays as the reference observation.
Open the full Lab view ↗