Messier

Messier 31, also known as the Andromeda Galaxy, is a large spiral galaxy located about 2.5 million light-years from Earth. It's the closest galaxy to our own Milky Way and contains over a trillion stars. Visible to the naked eye in the constellation Andromeda, it's named after the mythical princess of Ethiopia. Andromeda is on a collision course with the Milky Way, expected to merge in about 4.5 billion years. Its study enhances our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution in the universe.