M 31

M 31

AGN

AGN — SIMBAD verified

Messier 31, the Andromeda Galaxy, is a magnificent spiral galaxy located approximately 2.5 million light-years away from Earth. As our nearest major galactic neighbor, it spans several degrees of the night sky and serves as a premier target for capturing the structure of galactic spiral arms.

Key Facts

RA (J2000)

0h 42m 44.3s

Dec (J2000)

+41° 16′ 7″

Visual Magnitude

3.44

Spectral Type

SA(s)b

Best Season

Autumn (Sep–Nov)

How to Find It

Locate the Great Square of Pegasus and follow the line of stars leading north from Alpheratz to Mirach, then shift your gaze slightly northwest to find the faint, elongated glow of the galaxy in the Andromeda constellation.

Observing Tip

Because of its immense size, use a wide-field lens or a short focal length telescope to capture the entire galaxy, as higher magnification will only reveal the bright, condensed core while losing the outer spiral structure.

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