NGC 224

NGC 224, commonly known as the Andromeda Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy located about 2.537 million light-years from Earth. It is the nearest major galaxy to our Milky Way and is part of the Local Group of galaxies. Andromeda is roughly 220,000 light-years in diameter and contains around one trillion stars, more than the Milky Way. This galaxy is on a collision course with our Milky Way, expected to merge in about 4.5 billion years. Its bright core and extensive structure are visible to the naked eye in dark skies, making it a popular object for amateur astronomers.