a. v. ley
M31-- The Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31, is located in the direction of the constellation Andromeda. This massive spiral galaxy is approximately 200,000 light years in diameter (about 2X the size of the Milky Way) and about 2.5 million light years away. It is part of the "Local Group" that includes the Milky Way and The Triangulum Galaxy (M33) and is moving towards us at about 110 kilometers per second. In about four billion years—about the time our sun will burn out—The Andromeda Galaxy will merge with the Milky Way.
Also note The Andromeda Galaxys two companion galaxies, M32 and M110. The later is located in the lower portion of this image, slightly to the right, while the former is about center left and appears to be part of M31. Both are dwarf elliptical galaxies.
17 x 10' subframes were captured using an SBIG ST4000XCM camera attached to an AT65 refractor. The mount was a Losmandy G11. Processing was done using DSS and Photoshop CS2. The image was captured on 12-5-2015 at the dark sky site of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society (TAAS) in Belen, NM, the General Nathan Twinning Observatory (GNTO).
M31-- The Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31, is located in the direction of the constellation Andromeda. This massive spiral galaxy is approximately 200,000 light years in diameter (about 2X the size of the Milky Way) and about 2.5 million light years away. It is part of the "Local Group" that includes the Milky Way and The Triangulum Galaxy (M33) and is moving towards us at about 110 kilometers per second. In about four billion years—about the time our sun will burn out—The Andromeda Galaxy will merge with the Milky Way.
Also note The Andromeda Galaxys two companion galaxies, M32 and M110. The later is located in the lower portion of this image, slightly to the right, while the former is about center left and appears to be part of M31. Both are dwarf elliptical galaxies.
17 x 10' subframes were captured using an SBIG ST4000XCM camera attached to an AT65 refractor. The mount was a Losmandy G11. Processing was done using DSS and Photoshop CS2. The image was captured on 12-5-2015 at the dark sky site of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society (TAAS) in Belen, NM, the General Nathan Twinning Observatory (GNTO).