M31 - The Andromeda Galaxy

Captured over 75 hours, revealing intricate details in the arms of the galaxy, hydrogen rich internal nebulae and a wide Oiii (blue) cloud surrounding the galaxy.

Distance From Earth - 2.5 Million Light Years
Diameter - 220,000 Light Years
Total Exposure Time - 75 Hours

M31, the Andromeda Galaxy is the nearest large spiral galaxy to the Milky Way. Located in the constellation Andromeda, it spans roughly 220,000 light years in diameter making it more than twice as wide as our own galaxy. Containing an estimated one trillion stars, M31 is a spiral galaxy with pronounced dust lanes, bright star forming regions and a dense central core. It is slowing moving towards our own Milky Way galaxy with an expected collision in about 4-5 billion years.

As a bucket list target for most astrophotographers, I spent the most time out of any image on this one. I collected 75 hours worth of data to help reveal intricate detail in the dust lanes.