Andromeda is the nearest major galaxy to our own Milky Way galaxy (which is thought to look much like Andromeda). To an astronomer the galaxy is M31, meaning the 31st object in Messiers catalogue of diffuse sky objects.

The galaxy (a classic spiral) is lit by the three hundred thousand million stars that make it up. Even at light-speed of 186,000 miles per second this light takes 2 million years to reach earth. We are therefore seeing this galaxy as it was 2 million years ago at roughly the time that mankind first appeared on earth. We cannot know what it looks like now! The diameter of M31 is 200,000 light years.

Andromeda is accompanied by two dwarf elliptical galaxies M32 and M110, clearly seen on the photo.

Photo Credit: Jason Ware