The Andromeda Galaxy: our closest galactic companion revealed in a whole new light

The Andromeda Galaxy: our closest galactic companion revealed in a whole new light

A multi-telescope masterpiece reveals the Andromeda Galaxy’s hidden beauty

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  • Scientists combined data from multiple telescopes – each capturing a different 'colour' of light invisible to our eyes – to create the most detailed view yet of our nearest spiral galaxy.
  • By blending X-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infrared and radio waves, astronomers can spot features in the Andromeda Galaxy that would otherwise stay hidden, from bustling star nurseries to the galaxy’s mysterious black hole.
  • The data isn’t just stunning to look at, it’s also been turned into sound. Each type of light is translated into music, letting you literally listen to the galaxy’s secrets.
  • This project honours Dr. Vera Rubin, whose work with galaxies like Andromeda helped prove the existence of dark matter, the invisible glue holding galaxies together.
  • Andromeda is our galactic neighbour and may one day collide with the Milky Way. Understanding its secrets helps us learn more about the Universe, and our own place in it.
Andromeda Galaxy in infrared, using data from the Spitzer, IRAS, COBE, Planck and Herschel observatories. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/WISE, Spitzer, NASA/JPL-Caltech/K. Gordon (U. Az), ESA/Herschel, ESA/Planck, NASA/IRAS, NASA/COBE

Explore the full story and find out how multiple telescopes produce new view of the Andromeda Galaxy

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