                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2022 January 19

                          M31: The Andromeda Galaxy
        Image Credit: Subaru (NAOJ), Hubble (NASA/ESA), Mayall (NSF);
               Processing & Copyright: R. Gendler & R. Croman

   Explanation: The most distant object easily visible to the unaided eye
   is M31, the great Andromeda Galaxy. Even at some two and a half million
   light-years distant, this immense spiral galaxy -- spanning over
   200,000 light years -- is visible, although as a faint, nebulous cloud
   in the constellation Andromeda. In contrast, a bright yellow nucleus,
   dark winding dust lanes, and expansive spiral arms dotted with blue
   star clusters and red nebulae, are recorded in this stunning telescopic
   image which combines data from orbiting Hubble with ground-based images
   from Subaru and Mayall. In only about 5 billion years, the Andromeda
   galaxy may be even easier to see -- as it will likely span the entire
   night sky -- just before it merges with our Milky Way Galaxy.

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

