Optical photograph of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) & its two dwarf elliptical satelites: NGC 205 (top right) & M32 or NGC 221 (bottom centre). Andromeda

---

Optical photograph of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) & its two dwarf elliptical satelites: NGC 205 (top right) & M32 or NGC 221 (bottom centre). Andromeda, a spiral galaxy, is some million light years from our galaxy, the Milky Way, & measures some 170,000 light years across. It is the largest of the nearby galaxies being visible as a faint patch with the naked eye. Together with the Milky Way, Andromeda is one of the largest & most important members of the Local Group of galaxies.

---

Size: 2655px × 3543px
Photo credit: © NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 205, 221, andromeda, astronomy, cosmology, elliptical, galactic, galaxies, galaxy, group, local, m32, ngc, science