Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy in Andromeda, 2.5 million light-years away
Andromeda Galaxy (M31, NGC 224, PGC 002557, UGC 00454) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Andromeda , 2.5 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 3.4 and spans 3° × 1° of sky, about 129,900 light-years across. It is visible to the naked eye from a dark site, and it is highest in the evening sky in November.
Galaxy: a system of billions of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity, far outside the Milky Way. Spiral galaxies have a disk with arms; elliptical galaxies are smooth, round or oval swarms of older stars.
Finding Andromeda Galaxy from Mirach
Mirach
M31
ANDROMEDA
Andromeda Galaxy lies 7.7° northwest of Mirach , the magnitude 2.1 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Andromeda Galaxy is highest in the evening in November
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 50° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 35° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 15° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 11° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 34° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 49° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 63° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 71° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 65° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 49° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 6° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 1° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 14° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 29° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 47° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 66° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 81° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 69° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 46° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 25° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 6° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 24° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 66° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 88° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 69° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 42° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -19° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -1° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 18° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 40° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 62° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 79° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 65° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 36° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -5° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -29° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -24° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -9° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 11° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 34° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 56° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 69° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 58° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 30° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 7° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -13° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -31° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -39° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -33° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -17° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 5° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 28° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 48° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 59° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 50° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 23° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 0° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -39° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -49° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -42° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -2° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 21° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 40° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 49° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 42° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -6° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -27° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -48° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -59° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -50° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -31° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -8° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 14° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 31° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 39° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 33° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 8° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -55° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -69° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -58° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -37° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -15° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 6° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 29° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 23° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 0° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -19° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -39° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -62° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -78° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -65° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -43° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -21° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 19° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 14° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -7° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -25° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -66° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -88° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -69° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -47° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -26° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -9° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 4° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 9° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 5° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 49°S, and never sets north of 49°N.
Andromeda Galaxy is 2.5 million light-years away
The light seen from Andromeda Galaxy tonight left it about 2.5 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. It ranks 70 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: Cepheids, Li 2021.
Objects within 6° of Andromeda Galaxy
Andromeda Galaxy catalog data
Field Value
Designations M31, NGC 224, PGC 002557, UGC 00454 Type spiral galaxy Constellation Andromeda Right ascension (J2000) 00h 42.7m Declination (J2000) +41° 16′ Magnitude 3.4 Surface brightness 23.6 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 3° × 1° True size 129,900 light-years Distance 2.5 million light-years (Cepheids, Li 2021) Best month November Best with Naked eye Messier marathon order 4
