Ultraviolet
October 30, 2010
This mosaic of M31 merges 330 individual images taken by the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope aboard NASA's Swift spacecraft. It is the highest-resolution image of the galaxy ever recorded in the ultraviolet. Also known as the Andromeda Galaxy, M31 is more than 220,000 light-years across and lies 2.5 million light-years away. On a clear, dark night, the galaxy is faintly visible as a misty patch to the naked eye.
The irregular shape of the image results when the more than 300 images were assembled to make the final image.
The irregular shape of the image results when the more than 300 images were assembled to make the final image.
Topics:
Technology Internet, Andromeda Galaxy, Andromeda constellation, Local Group, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Naked eye, Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission, Andromeda's satellite galaxies, Galaxy
