This is the Andromeda Galaxy, photographed from my backyard for about 5 hours.
The Andromeda Galaxy is the most distant object that we can see from earth with our naked eyes (2.5 million light years away).
Astronomers currently estimate that the Andromeda Galaxy is the same size as the Milky Way, although it contains more stars (1 trillion compared to the 100-400 billion in the Milky Way).
Up until the 1920s, astronomers believed that the Milky Way Galaxy was the ENTIRE UNIVERSE. In other words, no other galaxies.
Up until the 1920s, astronomers believed that the Milky Way Galaxy was the ENTIRE UNIVERSE. In other words, no other galaxies.
At the time, astronomers thought that the Andromeda Galaxy was just a gas cloud. In 1925, Edwin Hubble used a 100 inch telescope to determine that Andromeda was far enough outside of our own galaxy to be its own galaxy.
Astronomers now estimate that there are 2 trillion galaxies in the universe. Funny how that number keeps getting bigger...
The Andromeda Galaxy is named after the constellation in which it appears: Andromeda.
Astronomers now estimate that there are 2 trillion galaxies in the universe. Funny how that number keeps getting bigger...
The Andromeda Galaxy is named after the constellation in which it appears: Andromeda.
A constellation is a group of stars that forms a pattern in the night sky. The first humans on earth likely looked up at the night sky and had their own names and meanings for constellations. Today, the "IAU" ("International Astronomical Union") recognizes 88 constellations.
The Andromeda constellation has Greek roots. Andromeda was a princess to Cepheus and Cassiopeia. They lived in a City called Aethiopia. Andromeda's mother bragged to everyone that she and her daughter were the most beautiful people in the world.
Word spread, and this angered the sea-God Poseidon. Poseidon sent a sea monster to destroy Cassiopeia and their City, Aethiopia.
A prophet prophesied that the only way to save the City was to offer Princess Andromeda as a sacrifice to the sea monster.
Wanting to save the City, Andromeda's parents chained her to a rock and waited for the monster to come kill their child.
The Greek hero Perseus (son of Zeus, had winged boots & hat, killed Medusa) happened to be flying around on his winged horse, Pegasus, and saw Andromeda chained to the rock. He was amazed at her beauty and offered to kill the sea monster in exchange for her hand in marriage.
Due to some fanciful flying from Pegasus (the horse), Perseus (the Greek hero) was able to stab the monster in its back, killing it, and saving the City. Perseus then married Princess Andromeda.
The 5 characters in this story are constellations in our night sky: Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Perseus, Pegasus, and Cepheus.
