Andromeda Galaxy

Andromeda Galaxy — galaxy, shown live in Cosmoscope, a real-time 3D map of the universe.

The nearest major galaxy and the most distant thing visible to the naked eye. It is falling toward the Milky Way — one day the two will merge into a single giant galaxy.

Type
Spiral galaxy (SA(s)b)
Distance
2.5 million light-years
Stars
~1 trillion
Diameter
~152,000 light-years
Approaching at
110 km/s
Merges with us in
~4.5 billion years

Seeing Andromeda Galaxy in real time

Andromeda Galaxy is placed at its true position on the sky and at its real measured distance, not as a flat backdrop. Fly out from the Sun in the live 3D view and watch it change from a point of light into structure as you approach, with the scale bar showing just how far out you have travelled.

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