SPACE — The Andromeda Galaxy or also called Messier 31 or M31, is the closest large galaxy to the Milky Way. Like the Milky Way, Andromeda is a barred spiral galaxy, so called because of the bar-shaped structure formed by the stars at its center.
According to the American Space Agency (NASA), Andromeda is about 260,000 light years across, making it the largest galaxy in the Local Group. However, Andromeda’s mass is roughly comparable or even less than that of the Milky Way.
Scientists think that this galaxy could be between 5 and 10 billion years old. However, according to a 2018 study, it may not have existed in its current form until two or three billion years ago, when two small galaxies orbiting each other merged to form today’s Andromeda Galaxy.
The following are facts about the Andromeda galaxy:
1. The Andromeda Galaxy is 2.5 million light years from Earth and is another major member of the Local Group, a collection of local galaxies.
2. Andromeda is visible to the naked eye but only when viewed against a dark sky and ideally on a moonless night. In many places, Adromeda is visible all year round, but it is easier to find in August and September.
3. There are several ways to find Andromeda. One way is to look for the constellation Cassiopeia, which forms an M or W shape in the sky. The lowest point of W is Schedar’s star, which points directly towards Andromeda.
4. Using a high-powered telescope in a dark sky, it is possible to observe some star clusters within the galaxy, such as the bright cluster Mayall II, also called Globular One or G1. This cluster is so bright that some researchers think it is the remnant core of a dwarf galaxy that merged with Andromeda in the distant past.
5. What will happen when we collide with the Andromeda galaxy? When the Milky Way and Andromeda merge in approximately 4.5 billion years, they will most likely form a very large elliptical galaxy. It is likely that the solar system will be relatively unaffected.
6. Andromeda is bigger than the Milky Way. However, the two galaxies are roughly comparable in mass, and it is difficult to say which is more massive.
2024-02-13 14:40:00
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