Posted on 01/19/2022 4:09:15 PM PST by MtnClimber
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.
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.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
bttt
It really is breathtaking. Thanks for posting.
Beautiful!
It’s embarrassing to have ‘Galaxy Envy’ but I kinda do when it comes to Andromeda. ;) She’s a looker!
Amazing ✨
The end of earth is coming... in about 4 billion years from now this galaxy will destroy our system. Yeah I heard fake scientists claim they will not collide. Simply Hogwash. The dust after two galaxies collide is massive
I am looking at doing a homestead claim on a good planet.
It must be drawn to collide with us to stop global warming.
Farewell Andromeda: https://johndenver.com/albums/farewell-andromeda/
That’s what a black hole does. Its gravitational effects reach out about a hundred thousand light-years in every direction.
Stars themselves rarely collide, even with two galaxies that merge. It’s like flinging two handfuls of sand at each other, where each grain of sand is separated from the others by something like half a mile.
picture the Oort cloud passing through our system a few dozen times. Don’t need a direct hit from a star to destroy this planet. I expect another Theia type planet
The Milky Way might be extraordinarily beautiful when viewed from Andromeda. And even if not, ....We are a galaxy with a view: Andromeda! I can hardly wait for the deep field images that come from the JWST.
There’s something about being able to see the Andromeda galaxy with the naked eye that is very satisfying - something SO far away. Even if it does look like a very faint smudge.
There are some nice shots of ‘us’ in the Milky Way, too.
I am blessed to live in the middle of nowhere with NO light pollution. In August, I get a fantastic view of our side of The Milky way from my front porch.
In The Big Picture, I’m SO insignificant. Well, we ALL are; just a bunch of talking apes, on a satellite circling the sun...
What an amazing video!
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