A Canadian astrophotographer has unveiled a spectacular view of our nearest galactic neighbour, Andromeda, capturing the vast spiral galaxy in remarkable detail as its ancient light reaches Earth after travelling for 2.5 million years.
How did the photographer capture Andromeda’s spiral beauty?
Astrophotographer Ronald Brecher photographed the Andromeda Galaxy from his home in Guelph, Canada, between 17 August and 2 September this year. He spent 38 hours collecting the data using a Sky-Watcher Esprit 70 EDX refractor and a QHY367C Pro camera. The resulting image reveals the galaxy’s sweeping spiral arms, spanning 260,000 light years, glowing with intense star formation. Dense dust lanes twist around Andromeda’s bright central bulge, where scientists believe a supermassive black hole 140 million times more massive than our sun resides.
Brecher’s shot also highlights two of Andromeda’s companions. The satellite galaxy M32 appears as a bright ball on the galaxy’s upper edge, while the soft glow beneath the disk belongs to Messier 110, an elliptical galaxy with around 10 billion stars.
Why is Andromeda significant to astronomers and stargazers?
Andromeda is one of the few galaxies visible to the naked eye from Earth. “Whenever I look at this galaxy, which is often with my naked eye—I think of the light reaching my eye having begun its journey before humans evolved on Earth,” Brecher wrote on his website. In late September, the galaxy can be seen less than 10 degrees to the upper left of Mirach, the brightest star in the Andromeda constellation. A clenched fist held at arm’s length covers roughly 10 degrees of the night sky, making it easier to spot.
Will Andromeda ever collide with the Milky Way?
For decades, astronomers believed Andromeda and the Milky Way were destined to merge in about 4 billion years. But new research has cast doubt on that scenario. Til Sawala, a researcher at the University of Helsinki, said that “the probability went from near-certainty to a coin flip,” suggesting the two galaxies may instead pass by each other without a direct collision.
The uncertainty over their cosmic fate makes Brecher’s detailed image even more valuable. It captures not just a celestial neighbour but a snapshot of galactic history and possibly, a preview of a future that remains undecided.
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