What is M31 in space?
M31, also known as the Andromeda galaxy, can be seen with the naked eye in the constellation of Andromeda. M31 our nearest spiral galaxy neighbor. The Milky Way has a number of dwarf companion galaxies that lie closer than M31, like the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, but M31 is the nearest major galaxy neighbor.
How far apart are the Milky Way and M31?
approximately 2.5 million light-years
At approximately 2.5 million light-years away, the Andromeda galaxy, or M31, is our Milky Way’s largest galactic neighbor.
What is the nearest galaxy to Earth?
List
| # | Galaxy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| – | Milky Way | Home galaxy of Earth. Barred spiral galaxy. |
| 1 | Canis Major Dwarf | Satellite of Milky Way (accretion by Milky Way) |
| 2 | Draco II | Satellite of Milky Way |
Is Andromeda nearest to Earth?
Andromeda galaxy is the largest galaxy nearest to Earth. It is found 2.5 million light-years away from our solar system. From as early as 1612, Andromeda galaxy had been discovered by astronomers although they assumed it was part of the Milky Way galaxy.
What does M31 stand for?
The Andromeda Galaxy
M31 definition (astronomy) The Andromeda Galaxy; a giant spiral galaxy in the Local Group, together with the Milky Way galaxy. It is at a distance of approximately 2.5 million light years from Earth, in the direction of the constellation Andromeda. abbreviation.
What constellation is M31 in?
AndromedaAndromeda Galaxy / Constellation
M31 is located in the constellation Andromeda and is best observed in November. Boasting an apparent magnitude of 3.1, the galaxy can be seen with the naked eye, even in areas with moderate light pollution.
How long would it take to get to M31?
Although it may be one of the closest galaxies to our own, since the Andromeda Galaxy is 2.5 million light years distant it would take 2.5 million years to get there if (and it’s a huge ‘if’) we could travel at the speed of light.
Who cataloged M31?
Messier 31 also contains a bright star cloud designated NGC 206. The object was catalogued by William Herschel as H V. 36 after observing it on October 17, 1786. The Andromeda Galaxy has a double nucleus, which was revealed by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1991.
How was M31 formed?
In approximately 3.75 billion years, the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies will collide, merging to form a giant elliptical galaxy. A team of astronomers in 2010 believe that M31 was formed between 5 and 9 billion years ago when two smaller galaxies collided and merged.
Can you see M31 with binoculars?
Binoculars are an excellent choice for beginners to observe the Andromeda galaxy, because they are so easy to point. As you stand beneath a dark sky, locate the galaxy with your eye first. Then slowly bring the binoculars up to your eyes so that the galaxy comes into binocular view.
What does M31 look like?
As noted above, the galaxy looks like a dim, fuzzy star to the naked eye, and like a small elliptical cloud in binoculars. The diagram below show the situation as Pegasus and Andromeda rise in the east. Through a telescope the Andromeda Galaxy looks quite diffuse.
How long will our galaxy last?
Our Milky Way galaxy is destined to collide with our closest large neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, in about five billion years.
Can we reach Andromeda?
Our milky way galaxy alone stretch about 100,000 light years..Nearest Galaxy Andromeda. is about 2.5 million light years away. Eevn if we travel at speed of light it will take 2.5 million years to reach there. Maximum man made probes traveled is about 23 kilometers/second.
Can we leave the Milky Way?
So, to leave our Galaxy, we would have to travel about 500 light-years vertically, or about 25,000 light-years away from the galactic centre. We’d need to go much further to escape the ‘halo’ of diffuse gas, old stars and globular clusters that surrounds the Milky Way’s stellar disk.