The Andromeda Galaxy (/ænˈdrɒmɨdə/), also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, is a spiral galaxy approximately 780 kiloparsecs (2.5 million light-years) from Earth. It is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way and was often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. It received its name from the area of the sky in which it appears, the constellation of Andromeda, which was named after the mythological princess Andromeda. Being approximately 220,000 light years across, it is the largest galaxy of the Local Group, which also contains the Milky Way, the Triangulum Galaxy, and about 44 other smaller galaxies. The Andromeda Galaxy is the most massive galaxy in the Local Group as well. Despite earlier findings that suggested that the Milky Way contains more dark matter and could be the most massive in the grouping, the 2006 observations by the Spitzer Space Telescope revealed that Andromeda contains one trillion (1012) stars: at least twice the number of stars in the Milky Way, which is estimated to be 200–400 billion. The Andromeda Galaxy is estimated to be 1.5×1012 solar masses, while the mass of the Milky Way is estimated to be 8.5×1011 solar masses. In comparison, a 2009 study estimated that the Milky Way and M31 are about equal in mass, while a 2006 study put the mass of the Milky Way at ~80% of the mass of the Andromeda Galaxy. The Milky Way and Andromeda are expected to collide in 3.75 billion years, eventually merging to form a giant elliptical galaxy or perhaps a large disk galaxy. At 3.4, the apparent magnitude of the Andromeda Galaxy is one of the brightest of any of the Messier objects, making it visible to the naked eye on moonless nights even when viewed from areas with moderate light pollution. Although it appears more than six times as wide as the full Moon when photographed through a larger telescope, only the brighter central region is visible to the naked eye or when viewed using binoculars or a small telescope, making it appear similar to a star. ______________________________________________________ Appelée Grande Nébuleuse d’Andromède jusqu'à ce que sa nature galactique ait été reconnue dans les années 1920, la galaxie d'Andromède est la galaxie spirale la plus proche de la Voie lactée et la plus grande galaxie du Groupe local dont toutes deux font entre autres partie. D'un diamètre approximatif de 140 000 années-lumière, elle contiendrait environ mille milliards d'étoiles. Avec une magnitude visuelle de 3,4, la galaxie d'Andromède est l’une des rares galaxies visibles à l'œil nu depuis la Terre dans l’hémisphère nord. C’est également un des objets les plus étendus de la voûte céleste, avec un diamètre apparent de 3,18°, soit plus de six fois le diamètre apparent de la Lune. La première description de la galaxie à l’aide d’un télescope est réalisée par Simon Marius en 1612 (souvent décrit comme le découvreur de la galaxie). Elle est photographiée pour la première fois en 1887 par l'astronome Isaac Roberts, dans son observatoire de Crowborough dans le Sussex.