Andromeda (star cluster)

Andromeda is a galaxy, not a star cluster, located about 2.5 million light-years from Earth. It's the closest spiral galaxy to ours and similar in size and structure. The Andromeda Galaxy contains hundreds of billions of stars, along with gas, dust, and dark matter, all bound together by gravity. Over time, it’s gradually moving toward the Milky Way, and in about 4.5 billion years, the two galaxies are predicted to merge, creating a larger galaxy. Andromeda is visible with a telescope and is a key object for studying galaxy formation and evolution.