M31, NGC 224 The Andromeda Galaxy

What is it? It’s a Galaxy.

How far is it? About 2,538,000 light years away from us. It’s the closest Spiral Galaxy to our Milky Way Galaxy.

What type of Galaxy? It’s a Spiral type of Galaxy.

It’s origin of name. The Andromeda Galaxy go it’s name from the constellation it’s from, The Constellation of Andromeda, which it was named after a Mythological Princess Andromeda.

Discovery. It’s very first discovery went far back to the year 964 by a Persian Astronomer Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi. Who described it as a “small cloud” in is Book of Fixed Stars. By telescope observation, it was found by Simon Marius on December 15, 1612. Charles Messier catalogued it into his Messier chart in 1764. First pictures of M31 by Isaac Roberts in 1887 Edwin Hubble settled a debate between Harlow Shapley and Curtis which determined if Andromeda is a Nebulae or a Spiral Galaxy in 1925.

Popular Culture. There is none.

Location. Right Ascension: 0h 42m 44s. Declination: 41° 16.152. Located North of the Andromeda Constellation.

References. http://www.space.com/15590-andromeda- galaxy-m31.html http://voices.yahoo.com/nothing-but-facts- andromeda-galaxy-10612855.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_Gal axy