The galaxy hiding in our sky

How can an entire galaxy hide in a smudge of light?

A guided Perigee encounter, about 2 minutes.

1. Only Andromeda's bright central glow reaches the unaided eye. Most of its disc hides in the dark.
2. Closer in, the faint stellar disc emerges around a warm central bulge.
3. Dark dust filaments cross the near side, breaking the spiral into uneven arcs.
4. The visible disc now reaches across the sky. The encounter ends before invented collision physics begins.

Explore the full Perigee sky