Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]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. 2024 September 8 [2]The featured image shows a spiral galaxy and a smaller oval galaxy in a dark starfield. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. M31: The Andromeda Galaxy Image Credit: [3]Subaru ([4]NAOJ), [5]Hubble ([6]NASA/[7]ESA), [8]Mayall ([9]NSF); Processing & Copyright: [10]R. Gendler & [11]R. Croman Explanation: The most distant object easily visible to the unaided eye is [12]M31, the great [13]Andromeda Galaxy. Even at some two and a half million [14]light-years distant, this immense spiral galaxy -- spanning [15]over 200,000 light years -- is visible, although as a faint, nebulous cloud in the [16]constellation Andromeda. A bright yellow nucleus, dark winding [17]dust lanes, and expansive spiral arms dotted with [18]blue star clusters and [19]red nebulae, are recorded in [20]this stunning telescopic image which combines data from [21]orbiting Hubble with ground-based images from [22]Subaru and [23]Mayall. In only about 5 billion years, the Andromeda galaxy may be even [24]easier to see -- as it will likely span the entire night sky -- just before it [25]merges with, or [26]passes right by, our [27]Milky Way Galaxy. Teachers & Students: [28]Ideas for using APOD in the classroom Tomorrow's picture: dark moon, red planet __________________________________________________________________ [29]< | [30]Archive | [31]Submissions | [32]Index | [33]Search | [34]Calendar | [35]RSS | [36]Education | [37]About APOD | [38]Discuss | [39]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [40]Robert Nemiroff ([41]MTU) & [42]Jerry Bonnell ([43]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [44]Specific rights apply. [45]NASA Web Privacy, [46]Accessibility, [47]Notices; A service of: [48]ASD at [49]NASA / [50]GSFC, [51]NASA Science Activation & [52]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2409/M31_HstSubaruGendler_5000.jpg 3. https://www.naoj.org/en/about/ 4. http://www.naoj.org/ 5. http://hla.stsci.edu/hla_welcome.html 6. https://www.nasa.gov/ 7. https://www.esa.int/ 8. https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/kitt-peak-national-observatory/nicholas-mayall-4m-telescope/ 9. https://www.nsf.gov/ 10. http://robgendlerastropics.com/Biography2.html 11. https://www.rc-astro.com/about.html 12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_Galaxy 13. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-31/ 14. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/ 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap061228.html 16. http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/and/index.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220117.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211124.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210214.html 20. http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/M31-HST-Subaru-NOAO-RC.html 21. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/overview/about-hubble/ 22. https://subarutelescope.org/en/ 23. https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/kitt-peak-national-observatory/nicholas-mayall-4m-telescope/ 24. https://wallpaperaccess.com/full/621501.jpg 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220606.html 26. https://www.science.org/content/article/milky-way-may-escape-fated-collision-andromeda-galaxy 27. https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/milkyway1.html 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apodclass.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240907.html 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 35. https://apod.com/feed.rss 36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 38. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240908 39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240909.html 40. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 41. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 42. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 43. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 44. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 45. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 46. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 47. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 48. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 49. https://www.nasa.gov/ 50. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 51. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 52. http://www.mtu.edu/