The Andromeda Galaxy lies about 2.5 million light-years away, making it the Milky Way’s closest galactic next-door neighbor. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, M. Boyer (Space Telescope Science Institute), and J. Dalcanton (University of Washington); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))
The rosy red structures of a neighboring galaxy radiance brilliantly in a brand-new image from the Hubble Space Telescope.
The Andromeda Galaxy– the Milky Way’s closest galactic next-door neighbor– lies about 2.5 million light-years away. Determining roughly 152,000 light-years throughout, it has almost the very same mass as our Milky Way galaxy. A current hubble image, launched on Aug. 30, catches an in-depth view of the northeast area of the renowned galaxy, including its elaborately woven spiral arms and swathes of ionized gas that fuel star development.
Related: Stunning Photos of Our Milky Way Galaxy (Gallery)
“The mix of excellent nurseries and supernovas develop a vibrant environment that thrills the surrounding hydrogen gas, thriving it into a garden of star-studded roses,” NASA authorities stated in a declaration.
Utilizing Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3, scientists had the ability to peer through the clouds of gas and focus on Andromeda’s spiral arms to evaluate the galaxy’s large collection of stars.
“The degree of the research study covered a large variety of stars, supplying not simply a clear view of Andromeda’s outstanding history and variety, however likewise more insight on excellent development and advancement in general,” NASA authorities stated in the declaration.
“By analyzing these stars in our regional cosmic area, researchers can much better comprehend those within galaxies in the far-off universe.”
Breaking area news, the current updates on rocket launches, skywatching occasions and more!
Andromeda is thought to be falling towards the Milky Way due to gravitational forces in between the 2 galaxies and the unnoticeable dark matter that surrounds them both. Eventually, the 2 galaxies are anticipated to experience a head-on accident in about 2 billion to 4 billion years, which will considerably change the structure of both Andromeda and the Milky Way as we understand them today. Some brand-new research study casts doubt on this crash theory– so, maybe only time will inform.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking area on the current objectives, night sky and more! And if you have a news pointer, correction or remark, let us understand at: community@space.com.
Samantha Mathewson signed up with Space.com as an intern in the summertime of 2016. She got a B.A. in Journalism and Environmental Science at the University of New Haven, in Connecticut. Formerly, her work has actually been released in Nature World News. When not composing or checking out science, Samantha delights in taking a trip to brand-new locations and taking images! You can follow her on Twitter @Sam_Ashley13.
The majority of Popular