This 1.5 Billion pixel image is the largest and sharpest photograph ever taken of the Andromeda Galaxy. In order to observe all of the 1.5 billion pixels, you’d need 600 HD TV screens to observe the image in full.
Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have taken what is considered one of the most fascinating images of our cosmic neighbor. The 1.5 BILLION pixel image of the Andromeda galaxy shows the beauty and mystery engulfing our cosmic neighbor.
Oh and, each one of those little dots is a star, and most of them have at least one planet, and many of them have several alien worlds.
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| Each dot is a star. |
The Andromeda galaxy also referred to as Messier 31 or just M31 is the only member of the local group of galaxies that has more mass than our own galaxy, the Milky Way.
It is located a staggering 2.5 million light years from Earth. The galaxy is approaching our galaxy at about 300 kilometers per second. The first reference to the Andromeda galaxy dates back to 961, and was made by Persian astronomer Azophi, whom in his Book of Fixed Stars describes as a “small cloud in the constellation of Andromeda.” The first telescopic observation corresponds to Simon Marius in 1612.
It is located a staggering 2.5 million light years from Earth. The galaxy is approaching our galaxy at about 300 kilometers per second. The first reference to the Andromeda galaxy dates back to 961, and was made by Persian astronomer Azophi, whom in his Book of Fixed Stars describes as a “small cloud in the constellation of Andromeda.” The first telescopic observation corresponds to Simon Marius in 1612.
This image is the largest and sharpest image of the Andromeda galaxy ever taken. As noted by Cosmos, in order to observe all of the 1.5 billion pixels you’d need 600 HD TV screens to observe the image in full. In this unprecedented, jaw-dropping image you can witness over 100 million—of its estimated TRILLION stars.
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| You can’t say that this view isn’t magical! |
In order to observe the image in all of its beauty, and to actually see all of those tiny little dots, head on over to the Hubble websitewhere you’ll get a chance to zoom in and out into different parts of the galaxy, which will allow you to see—in unprecedented detail—a galaxy coming to life. What for many may have seemed like one single star turns out to be a cluster of different stars surrounded by other countless Suns that are too faint to make it into the picture. And as you drool over this image remember that even though you can’t even contemplate Andromeda’s true size, it is just a small, tiny part compared to the rest of the universe. The most awesome image of the Andromeda galaxy: http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic1502a/zoom
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