Description: The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is the nearest major galaxy to our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Andromeda is a spiral galaxy and is estimated to have a similar mass but twice as many stars as the Milky Way. The galaxy can be seen with the naked eye on a dark and clear night, and can be seen with a pair of binoculars or a small telescope even in moderate conditions. Visually, it appears as a faint smudge in the sky. Andromeda is moving towards us at a speed of about 110 kilometers per second, and will likely collide with the Milky Way in about 4 billion years. The two galaxies will then merge to form a new galaxy, although it is thought that this collision will have little effect on Earth itself. Image taken from Santa Cruz de La Palma, Spain. Credit: Luke Holden.