Photo credit: science.nasa.gov

The Majestic Andromeda Galaxy: Hubble’s Largest Photomosaic

The Andromeda galaxy, situated a mere 2.5 million light-years away from Earth, has become the focal point of the largest photomosaic ever captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. As the closest galaxy to our Milky Way, Andromeda presents a unique opportunity for astronomers and astrophotographers alike. This stunning mosaic showcases the galaxy as seen nearly edge-on, tilted at an angle of 77 degrees from our perspective.

Creating this extensive mosaic has been no small feat. Over a span of 10 years, Hubble captured approximately 600 separate overlapping fields of view, which presents the complex challenge of stitching these images together to form a cohesive representation of Andromeda’s expansive structure. The resulting mosaic consists of at least 2.5 billion pixels, offering an intricate view of this celestial wonder.

Hubble’s observations have resolved an estimated 200 million stars that are hotter than the Sun. However, this figure represents only a fraction of Andromeda’s total stellar population, highlighting the galaxy’s immense size and complexity. The data gathered not only enriches our understanding of Andromeda but also our broader comprehension of galaxy formation and evolution.

Notable Features Within the Photomosaic

This remarkable image reveals several intriguing regions within Andromeda, including:

• Clusters of Bright Blue Stars: These vibrant star clusters are situated within Andromeda and contrast sharply with more distant background galaxies, while a few foreground stars belonging to the Milky Way provide an engaging photo-bombing effect.
• NGC 206: One of the most prominent star clouds in the galaxy, NGC 206 is a focal point for star formation study.
• Young Star Clusters: The presence of newly formed blue stars indicates regions of active stellar birth.
• Satellite Galaxy M32: This intriguing satellite may represent the remnant core of a galaxy that once collided with Andromeda.
• Dark Dust Lanes: These striking features weave through the myriad stars, adding depth and contrast to the stellar tapestry.

The work on this mosaic involved collaboration among numerous institutions, including NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), alongside researchers such as Benjamin F. Williams and Zhuo Chen from the University of Washington, and L. Clifton Johnson from Northwestern University. Image processing was skillfully conducted by Joseph DePasquale from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI).

The completion of this photomosaic not only underscores the capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope but also enhances our understanding of galactic structures and dynamics, shedding light on the complex processes that govern the lives of galaxies in our universe.

Source
science.nasa.gov