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Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way, located about 2.5 million light-years away. It is a spiral galaxy similar in structure to our own.
Source: science.nasa.gov
APODs including "Andromeda Galaxy"
The Aquarius Dwarf
27/07/2003
Image Credit:
A. Oksanen,
2.6 meter Nordic Optical Telescope
/ NASA APOD
Our Milky Way Galaxy is not alone. It is part of a gathering of about 50 galaxies known as the Local Group. Members include the Great Andromeda Galaxy (M31), M32, M33, the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Small Magellanic Cloud, Dwingeloo 1, several small irregular galaxies, and many dwarf elliptical and dwarf spheroidal galaxies. Pictured above is the Aquarius Dwarf, a faint dwarf irregular galaxy over 3 million light years away. An earlier APOD erroneously identified the above image as the Sagittarius Dwarf.