The Andromeda Galaxy is the largest member of our local group of galaxies.  It is nearly 2.5 million LY away, extends
200 LY across, and boasts a total of 300 billion stars.  Recent measurements indicate that Andromeda will collide with
our Milky Way Galaxy sometime in the distant future.  Companion galaxies M32 and M110 are prominent in the image.
The bright star cloud in the lower right hand corner of Andromeda's spiral structure is NGC206.



August 20, 2006
Orion 80mm Apo Refractor - f/7.5 - Baader IR Filter 
Canon Digital Rebel 300D / Modified (Hap Griffin)
80 Minute / 16x300s @ 800ASA
Manually guided on a 14" Meade LX200
Skyhawk Observatory, West Bend, WI
Rick Kazmierski