Sunday 30 March 2014

The Andromeda Galaxy - The Nearest Galaxy

The Andromeda Galaxy
andromeda galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is the closest large galaxy to the Milky Way and is one only ten galaxies that can be seen unaided from the Earth. In approximately 4.5 billion years the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way are expected to collide. It is accompanied by at least 10 satellite galaxies the most notable of which is the Triangulum Galaxy.

Galaxy Profile

Type: Spiral

Distance from Milky Way: 2.5 million light-years

Diameter: 260,000 light-years

Mass: 400 billion solar masses

Number of Stars: 1 trillion

Facts About Andromeda

1.While Andromeda is the largest galaxy in the Local Cluster it is not thought to be the most massive as the Milky May is thought to contain more dark matter making it the most massive

2.The Andromeda Galaxy is approaching the Milky Way at approximately 100 to 140 kilometres per second

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