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Credit & Copyright: Robert Gendler
Explanation:
The center of the Andromeda galaxy is beautiful but strange.
Andromeda,
indexed as M31, is so close to our own
Milky Way Galaxy that it
gives a unique perspective into galaxy composition by
allowing us to see into its core.
Billions of stars swarm around a center that has
two nuclei and likely houses a
supermassive black hole
over 5 million times the mass of our
Sun.
M31 is about two million light years away and
visible with the unaided eye towards the constellation of Andromeda, the princess.
Pictured above, dark
knots of
dust are seen superposed on the inner 10,000
light years of
M31's core.
The brighter stars are foreground stars located in our
Milky Way Galaxy.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Andromeda
Publications with words: Andromeda
See also: