Andromeda Galaxy (M31)
Andromeda Galaxy is the closest large galaxy to the Milky Way and is 2.5 million lightyears away from the Sun (780 kpc.)
It is larger and has more stars than the Milky Way however, the Milky Way is believed to have more mass because of dark matter.
Both the Andromeda and Milky Way belong to the Local Group, a group of 50 galaxies, mostly dwarf galaxies. The Andromeda Galaxy is 260 000 light years across (80 kpc.)
The Andromeda and the Milky Way are rushing toward each other at 112 km/sec, they will eventually collide in about 5 billion years.
The
Galaxies
Milky Way Galaxy
The Milky Way Galaxy has a spiral-like structure and is 100 000 light years across, and holds around 5 billion stars.
Our solar system lies 8 kpc from the centre
on the Orion spiral arm.
The Milky Way Galaxy is made up of a bulge, halo and a disk.
The halo and the bulge hold the old stars, the sun is a relatively new star at 5 billion years old.
The Milky Way Galaxy is at least double that old.
Artist's Rendering