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Galaxy · Andromeda

Andromeda Galaxy

M31 · NGC 224 · Andromeda
Above the horizon all nightHighest after dark 00:49 · south · 80°
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Andromeda GalaxyN ↑ E ← · 36° FIELD

Where is the Andromeda Galaxy?

Times for LondonChange city

Look south, about 80° up at 00:49 in Andromeda.

Rises
Always up
Highest
00:46
Sets
Never
Best after dark
00:49 · 80°

Can I see the Andromeda Galaxy tonight?

From London tonight, the Andromeda Galaxy is above the horizon all night. It’s highest after dark at 00:49, in the south at 80°.

At magnitude 3.4, with its light spread over an area of sky, it can be seen by eye from a dark site; light pollution hides it quickly.

This is position and timing only: clouds, haze and light pollution aren’t included.

What does the Andromeda Galaxy look like?

Eyes

Under dark skies, a faint, elongated smudge. From suburbs, it may be just visible with averted vision. From cities, it is usually not visible.

Binoculars

An obvious oval glow with a brighter core, stretching across a good part of the field.

Telescope

A bright core and a long, faint oval; M32 and M110 appear nearby. Spiral arms are not visible by eye, though dark skies may show a dust lane.

What you’re likely to see, not what a space telescope photographs.

About the Andromeda Galaxy

The Andromeda Galaxy is the nearest large spiral galaxy, about 2.5 million light-years away. Under dark skies it is visible to the naked eye, making it one of the most distant things you can see without optical aid. The light reaching you tonight left it before modern humans existed.

It is similar to our Milky Way but somewhat larger, with hundreds of billions of stars. Two of its companion galaxies, M32 and M110, are visible in small telescopes.

Andromeda and the Milky Way are moving toward each other. Recent studies suggest a collision within the next several billion years is possible but not certain.

Its full extent in long-exposure photos spans several times the width of the full Moon, but visually you mostly see its bright core.

In the 1920s, Edwin Hubble measured pulsating stars in Andromeda and showed that it lies far beyond the Milky Way. That settled a long debate and revealed that our galaxy is one of many.

Nearby in the sky

Questions

Can I see the Andromeda Galaxy with my eyes?
Yes, under dark skies, as a faint smudge. Light pollution makes it difficult or impossible from cities.
Why doesn’t it look like the photos?
Photos collect light for minutes or hours and are processed to bring out faint detail. Your eye sees the bright core and the inner glow.
Will Andromeda collide with the Milky Way?
The two galaxies are approaching each other, and a merger in several billion years is possible. Recent studies suggest it is far from certain.
Its constellationAndromedaAnother galaxyTriangulum GalaxyAnother galaxyBode's Galaxy0° awayMessier 321° awayMessier 110GuideBinoculars or telescope: what to start with

Sources: SkyMate; OpenNGC (CC BY-SA 4.0); star chart: Wikidata (CC0). Positions computed for your place and time with astronomy-engine. Data & Licences