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Andromeda (constellation)Constellations listed by PtolemyNorthern constellations

Andromeda (constellation)

Adapted from Wikipedia Β· Explorer experience

A stunning view of the Andromeda Galaxy, showing millions of stars and star clusters captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.

The Beautiful Constellation Andromeda

The constellation Andromeda is one of the oldest and most famous star patterns in the night sky. It was first listed by the ancient Greco-Roman astronomer Ptolemy and is still one of the 88 modern constellations used today. Andromeda is named after a princess from Greek myth, and it is best seen in the autumn evenings in the Northern Hemisphere.

Andromeda is a large constellation, covering an area of 722 square degrees, which is over 1,400 times the size of the full moon. One of its brightest stars is Alpheratz, which sometimes is considered part of the neighboring constellation Pegasus. Another bright star, Mirach, appears reddish because it is a glowing red giant.

Perhaps the most famous feature of Andromeda is the Andromeda Galaxy, also called M31 or the Great Galaxy of Andromeda. This galaxy is the closest spiral galaxy to our own Milky Way and can even be seen with the naked eye on a dark night. It is a wonderful sight through telescopes!

Images

A colorful 19th-century star chart showing the constellations Andromeda, Triangulum, and Gloria Frederici, used for learning about astronomy.
Historical star chart showing the Andromeda and Triangulum constellations from a 1690 astronomy book.
An ancient manuscript page illustrating the constellation Andromeda, showcasing medieval astronomy and art.
A beautiful night sky photo showing the constellation Andromeda, a group of stars named after a character from ancient myths.
An illustration of the Andromeda constellation showing its stars and official boundary.
The Andromeda Spiral Galaxy, a beautiful galaxy visible to the naked eye, similar to our own Milky Way.
A beautiful cosmic cloud called NGC 7662, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, showing the glowing gases spread out in space.
A diagram showing different types of stars in the Andromeda constellation based on their brightness and temperature.
An artist's rendering of HE 1523-0901, one of the oldest known stars in our galaxy, located about 7,500 light-years from Earth.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Andromeda (constellation), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.