Andromeda Galaxy

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M110, Elliptical Galaxy, satellite of Andromeda Galaxy.

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Star cluster G1 (Mayall II) in the Andromeda Galaxy, as observed by the Hubble Space Telescope.

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Science & Tech

Andromeda Galaxy

Also known as: Andromeda Nebula, M31, NGC 224

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 4, 2024 • Article History

Category: Science & Tech

Also called:: Andromeda Nebula

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Andromeda Galaxy, (catalog numbers NGC 224 and M31), great spiral galaxy in the constellation Andromeda, the nearest large galaxy. The Andromeda Galaxy is one of the few visible to the unaided eye, appearing as a milky blur. It is located about 2,480,000 light-years from Earth; its diameter is approximately 200,000 light-years; and it shares various characteristics with the Milky Way system. It was mentioned as early as 965 ce, in the Book of the Fixed Stars by the Islamic astronomer al-Ṣūfī, and rediscovered in 1612, shortly after the invention of the telescope, by the German astronomer Simon Marius, who said ...(100 of 281 words)

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