The Andromeda Galaxy

The Andromeda Galaxy is a massive spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years away from Earth, and it’s the nearest large galaxy to our Milky Way. It contains hundreds of billions of stars, along with dust, gas, and dark matter, all organized into a flat, rotating disk with spiral arms. Over billions of years, Andromeda will eventually collide and merge with the Milky Way, forming a larger galaxy. It is visible from Earth with binoculars or telescopes, appearing as a faint, elongated cloud in the night sky. Studying Andromeda helps astronomers understand galaxy formation and evolution.