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File:WISE- Andromeda.jpg

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4 September 2010

Summary

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English: The immense Andromeda galaxy, also known as Messier 31 (M31), is captured in full in this new image from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The mosaic covers an area equivalent to more than 100 full moons, or five degrees across the sky. WISE used all four of its infrared detectors to capture this picture (3.4- and 4.6-micron light is colored blue; 12-micron light is green; and 22-micron light is red). Blue highlights mature stars, while yellow and red show dust heated by newborn, massive stars.

Andromeda is the closest large galaxy to our Milky Way galaxy, and is located 2.5 million light-years from our sun. It is close enough for telescopes to spy the details of its ringed arms of new stars and hazy blue backbone of older stars. Also seen in the mosaic are two satellite galaxies: M32, located just a bit above Andromeda to the left of center, and the fuzzy blue M110, located below the center of the great spiral arms. These satellites are the largest of several that are gravitationally bound to Andromeda.

Andromeda is larger than the Milky Way and contains more stars, but the Milky Way is thought to perhaps have more mass due to its larger proportion of a mysterious substance called dark matter. Both galaxies belong to our so-named Local Group, a collection of more than 50 galaxies, most of which are tiny dwarf systems. In its quest to map the whole sky, WISE will capture the entire Local Group.
Date
Source http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/multimedia/pia12832-c.html
Author NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA
This image or video was catalogued by Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Photo ID: PIA12832.

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Public domain This file is in the public domain in the United States because it was solely created by NASA. NASA copyright policy states that "NASA material is not protected by copyright unless noted". (See Template:PD-USGov, NASA copyright policy page or JPL Image Use Policy.)
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17 February 2010

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Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment
current15:30, 22 February 2010Thumbnail for version as of 15:30, 22 February 20106,666 × 6,666 (14.11 MB)TheDJlarger version
14:07, 21 February 2010Thumbnail for version as of 14:07, 21 February 20102,048 × 1,354 (1.23 MB)Emerson7== {{int:filedesc}} == {{Information |Description={{en|1=The immense Andromeda galaxy, also known as Messier 31 or simply M31, is captured in full in this new image from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE. The mosaic covers an area equiva

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