ANDROMEDA GALAXY IN DETAILS Latest data of the nearest galaxy M31

DETAILS The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224 and originally the Andromeda Nebula (see below), is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 2. 5 million lightyears (770 kiloparsecs) from Earth and the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way. The galaxy s name stems from the area of Earth s sky in which it appears, the constellation of Andromeda, which itself is named after the Ethiopian (or Phoenician) princess who was the wife of Perseus in Greek mythology. Narrator: Alexander Notkin