Hubble Captures Largest-Ever Image of Andromeda Galaxy, Revealing Chaotic Past
A decade-long survey by the Hubble Space Telescope uncovers Andromeda's dynamic history, including signs of past galaxy collisions and unique star formations.
- The Hubble Space Telescope created a 2.5-billion-pixel photomosaic of the Andromeda galaxy, based on over 600 images collected over 10 years.
- The survey resolved 200 million stars, offering unprecedented detail about Andromeda's structure and evolution compared to the Milky Way.
- Evidence suggests Andromeda experienced a major collision with another galaxy, likely Messier 32, leading to bursts of star formation and structural changes.
- Andromeda appears to be transitioning between a star-forming spiral galaxy and an elliptical galaxy dominated by older stars.
- The findings will guide future studies with the James Webb and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescopes to further explore Andromeda's history and its role as a proxy for understanding other galaxies.
ScienceDaily 
IFLScience 
Mashable 
Berkeley 
NASA 