NGC 224

Object

NGC 224, widely known as the Andromeda Galaxy or M31, is a massive spiral galaxy located approximately 2.5 million light-years away. It is the largest member of our Local Group and is one of the few galaxies visible to the naked eye, appearing as a faint, spindle-shaped blur under dark skies.

How to Find It

Locate the constellation Andromeda in the night sky. You can find it by identifying the Great Square of Pegasus and tracing the stars outward to the Andromeda constellation. The galaxy is situated near the stars Mirach and Mu Andromedae.

Observing Tip

Because the galaxy has a very large angular size, use low-power wide-field eyepieces or camera lenses to capture the full extent of its disk, as high magnification will only reveal the bright central core.

Cookie Settings

We use essential cookies to keep you signed in and run the app — these are not used to track you. With your permission, we also load optional HubSpot analytics cookies to understand how the app is used. These are never loaded unless you opt in, and we do not track you across other apps or websites. You can change your choice anytime in your profile settings or our cookie policy.