a-gax02-24017← Collection
images
Central part of the Andromeda galaxy (M31)
- Reference
- a-gax02-24017
- Date
- 2006-09-14
This picture covers almost half a degree of sky (about the size of the full moon), but wide angle telescopes show the galaxy to be over three degrees long at its widest. Here we see only the central part of M31, the huge mass of stars that are in orbit around its nucleus. Silhouetted against this starry background are tangled sheets and curtains of dust, very reminiscent of dust clouds we see in our own galaxy. This picture was made from three black and white glass negatives. Some care has been taken to ensure that the colours seen here are realistic.
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