The Milky Way and Andromeda are two of the most iconic and studied galaxies in the universe. Though they share similarities, they also have striking differences that make each one unique.

What They Have in Common
Spiral Shape: Both are majestic spiral galaxies, featuring sweeping arms of stars, gas, and dust wrapped around a central bulge.

Barred Structure: Each galaxy has a central bar-shaped core, a common feature in large spiral galaxies.

How They Differ
Size:
Andromeda spans ~220,000 light-years, making it nearly twice the size of the Milky Way, which measures about 100,000 light-years.

Location:
Milky Way is our cosmic home.
Andromeda lies 2.5 million light-years away from us.

Future Collision:
They're on a cosmic collision course! In about 4.5 billion years, the two galaxies are expected to merge, forming a new elliptical galaxy—sometimes dubbed Milkomeda.

Unique Traits
Andromeda: Hosts a larger entourage of satellite galaxies, including dozens of dwarfs in orbit.

Milky Way: Features a richer, more dynamic structure with a pronounced bar and vivid, active spiral arms.

Together, these galactic giants help scientists unravel the mysteries of how galaxies form, evolve, and interact across billions of years.

The Andromeda Galaxy—our nearest galactic neighbor—is hurtling toward us at 110 km/s (250,000 mph).

In about 4 billion years, it will collide and merge with the Milky Way.

But don’t panic—stars won’t crash. The vast distances between them make direct impacts rare. Instead, gravity will twist and reshape both galaxies, flinging stars into new orbits and forming a massive new galaxy: Milkomeda.

It’ll be a cosmic transformation—and future skies will never look the same.

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From blurry light to a galaxy of stars.

In 1899, Isaac Roberts captured what he called the “Great Andromeda Nebula.” At the time, it was believed to be just a cloud of gas within our own galaxy.

Years later, it was revealed to be something far more astonishing — the Andromeda Galaxy, a vast island of stars 2.5 million light-years away.
What was once a mystery in the lens became a milestone in our understanding of the universe.

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I photographed the Andromeda galaxy from orbit

Moon & Andromeda: Two Worlds, One Sky

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