A for Andromeda - The Galaxy Next Door

There is nothing quite as fantastic for me than to go outside, look up at the stars, point out what is what and see the only galaxy that can be seen with the naked eye, Andromeda - everything else that can be seen with our naked eyes is comets, stars and planets.

Imagine that you could go out into space, far beyond earth and the solar system, far beyond our milky way galaxy, and then turn and look back.  What would our galaxy of a hundred billion starts look like, well we have a pretty good idea because our own galaxy is one of a pair.

It's partner Andromeda is 2,9 million light years away (1 Lightyear = 9.46052894x10E15) and 1000 lightyears across, about twice the mass of ours, but in most respects it is it's twin.  The rotate in opposite directions and are moving towards one another every second they get 100km closer.  One day, 3 billion years from now, our worlds will collide - thats a while away so don't go getting stressed just yet, there are still enough issues on earth at present that are cause for concern.....

Just looking outside tonight, looking up at many identifiable objects such as Jupiter which is very bright tonight, Rigel and Betelgeuse were winking at me also. I wish my camera could have picked up what I was seeing! To think that I was stood in my own back garden, looking at the furthest thing in space that can be seen with the naked eye, not just another star but a whole other galaxy - it blows me away every time and certainly gets my heart ticking faster :)

If you are new to Astronomy, or really not that interested as such - I urge you to get the app for iphone called StarmapPro or puniverse.  Simply open the app and hold it up to the sky, it will tell you what you are looking at, I would then google these objects and have a quick read about them, I promise you that the next time you are out at night you will look up and wonder what is on display again.... It is simply amazing and beautiful.  Andromeda can be seen

Andromeda sent its light to earth long before humans existed....... give it a few moments of your time

http://www.space.com/9605-andromeda-galaxy-visible-eagle-eye-skywatchers.html