Helpful tips

How do you find the Andromeda Galaxy?

How do you find the Andromeda Galaxy?

Most people find the galaxy by star-hopping from the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen, a very noticeable M- or W-shaped pattern on the sky’s dome. You can also find the Andromeda galaxy by star-hopping from the star Alpheratz in the Great Square of Pegasus. Both methods will lead you to the galaxy.

Where is M31 in the night sky?

Another popular way to find M31 is by star hopping from Alpheratz, a corner star of the great square of Pegasus. Take the side of the square of Pegasus that faces the “W” shape of Cassiopeia and then go to the star at the top of this edge (Alpheratz).

Do we have real pictures of Andromeda?

NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced the largest and sharpest image ever taken of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). Image released Jan. 5, 2015. The panoramic image shows striking details of the bright galaxy, which is located about 2.5 million light-years from Earth.

Can I see Andromeda tonight?

Try binoculars! Don’t worry if you miss it tonight, for the Andromeda galaxy will be in the evening sky from now until spring. The Andromeda galaxy and 2 satellite galaxies as seen through a powerful telescope. To the eye, the galaxy looks like a fuzzy patch.

Where is M31 postcode?

Partington, United Kingdom
Carrington, United KingdomUrmston, United Kingdom
M31/Cities

How many galaxies can we see with your naked eyes?

In the best sky conditions, the naked eye (with effort) can see objects with an apparent magnitude of 8.0. This reveals about 43,197 objects in the sky. There are 9 galaxies visible to the naked eye that you might see when observing the sky, and there are about 13 nebulae that you might see.

What does M31 stand for?

The Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy (IPA: /ænˈdrɒmɪdə/), also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224 and originally the Andromeda Nebula (see below), is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years (770 kiloparsecs) from Earth and the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way.

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.

What is the nearest galaxy to Earth?

galaxy Andromeda
The nearest galaxies to us are the two irregular galaxies called the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud. The nearest large galaxy is the spiral galaxy Andromeda.

What is Andromeda the god of?

Andromeda, in Greek mythology, beautiful daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiope of Joppa in Palestine (called Ethiopia) and wife of Perseus. Cassiope offended the Nereids by boasting that Andromeda was more beautiful than they, so in revenge Poseidon sent a sea monster to devastate Cepheus’ kingdom.

Is the M31 galaxy face on or face on?

M31 is a spiral galaxy tilted towards Earth by 13 º. This means that we get to see it as an ellipse in the sky. If the galaxy were tilted over by 90 º, it would appear face on; we would be able to see a bright circular core surrounded by spiral arms.

How big is the Galaxy M31 in light years?

This mosaic of M31 merges 330 individual images taken by the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope aboard NASA’s Swift spacecraft. It is the highest-resolution image of the galaxy ever recorded in the ultraviolet. The image shows a region 200,000 light-years wide and 100,000 light-years high (100 arcminutes by 50 arcminutes).

Where was the photo of the Andromeda Galaxy taken?

This artist’s impression shows a gas “bridge” between the Andromeda Galaxy, or M31, on the right, and the Triangulum Galaxy, or M33, on the left. Lorenzo Comolli took this photo of the Andromeda Galaxy on Nov. 16, 2012 from the Apennine mountain village of Bogli, Italy.

How big is the Hubble Space Telescope compared to M31?

Despite the size of Hubble’s massive mosaic, it does not span even half of the galaxy. This image from Hubble spans 7,900 light-years and reveals M31’s crowded central region. The bright area to the right of the center is a grouping of stars nestled around the galaxy’s black hole.