NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) captured a stunning image of the Andromeda Galaxy, also known as Messier 31 or M31. The massive mosaic is made up of 7,398 exposures from 411 separate telescope captures and features over 100 million stars and thousands of star clusters within its pancake-shaped disk. This clear image provides a detailed bird’s-eye view of the galaxy, offering insights into its structure and evolution.
The Andromeda Galaxy is our nearest major galactic neighbor, and this image marks the largest Hubble mosaic ever created. The observation also includes an inset showing X-ray data gathered from several observations of its central region. Furthermore, NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory captured an ultraviolet light view of the galaxy, revealing its spiral structure.
The Andromeda Galaxy is expected to merge with our Milky Way over the next few billion years, and this image offers a glimpse into that impending collision. The galaxy’s double nucleus can be seen in detail, providing scientists with valuable information about its internal dynamics.
This remarkable achievement showcases NASA’s ongoing efforts to explore and understand our universe, and the Andromeda Galaxy remains one of the most fascinating objects in the night sky.
Source: https://www.dnaindia.com/web-stories/viral/10-stunning-images-of-andromeda-galaxy-shared-by-nasa-1737212770066