Andromeda Galaxy

An amateur astrophotographer has shared an image of Messier 33, the Triangulum Galaxy, admitting a processing error: the calibration flat fields were shot with a different filter than the science data, leaving visible artefacts. The image shows the third-largest member of the Local Group of galaxies, alongside Andromeda and the Milky Way, and was assembled from about an hour of exposures.

Researchers report evidence that many red supergiants in the Andromeda galaxy are not single stars but have hidden companion stars, previously overlooked because they are too faint to detect directly. The finding could change how astronomers understand the evolution of massive stars and the eventual supernova explosions that end their lives.

The Andromeda Galaxy, or Messier 31, is being highlighted as a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Andromeda and the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way at roughly 2.5 million light-years away. Astronomy enthusiasts are noting that, spanning more than 3 degrees of sky, it reaches its highest point at astronomical midnight in early October, making this a prime time to observe it.