About Andromeda Galaxy:
- It is also known as M31, comparable in size to our Milky Way galaxy.
- It is a large spiral galaxy located approximately 2.5 million light years from Earth.
- It is named for its celestial location in the constellation of Andromeda.
- It is the closest major galaxy to the Milky Way and is visible to the naked eye.
- It is currently transitioning to its ‘middle age’, away from being a vibrant, active galaxy and towards a quiescent state
- It is a barred spiral galaxy, so-called for the bar-like structure formed by the stars in its center.
- It is observed that this galaxy is moving towards the Milky Way at approximately 110 km/s.
Key Facts about Hubble Space Telescope
- It is named in honour of the trailblazing astronomer Edwin Hubble which was launched by the NASA.
- It is a large, space-based observatory, which has revolutionized astronomy since its launch and deployment by the space shuttle Discovery in 1990.
- Hubble’s domain extends from the ultraviolet through the visible (which our eyes see) and into the near infrared.
- It is one of NASA’s Great Observatories Programs.
