License: CC0
Original Resolution: 5562 × 3516 pixels (19.6 MP)
EXIF Details: Date: Taken on 12 January 2026, 13:00
Description:
Andromeda (M31) Credit: Giuseppe Donatiello
(J2000) RA: 00h 42m 44.3s Dec: +41° 16′ 9″ (core) The Andromeda Galaxy, or Messier 31 (M31) and NGC 224, is a spiral galaxy approximately at 780 kiloparsecs (2.5 million light-years). It is the largest menber of the Local Group of galaxies, which also contains the Milky Way, the Triangulum Galaxy, and other smaller galaxies.
This image offers a good overview of the main structures on the disk. It appears quite regular and there is an abundant presence of young stars, gases and dusts. The bulge is dominated by an older population. M31 is thought to have assimilated a hundred small galaxies or globular clusters. This process is still ongoing.