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The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as Messier 31 or M31, is a spiral galaxy located approximately 2.5 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. It is the closest galaxy to the Milky Way and is one of the brightest objects in the night sky.

The Andromeda Galaxy is approximately 220,000 light-years in diameter, making it slightly larger than the Milky Way. It is estimated to contain around one trillion stars, which is more than twice the number of stars in the Milky Way.

The Andromeda Galaxy is also home to several satellite galaxies, including M32 and M110, which are visible in small telescopes. Astronomers have observed that the Andromeda Galaxy is approaching the Milky Way at a rate of about 110 kilometers per second, and the two galaxies are expected to collide in about 4.5 billion years. This collision is expected to result in the formation of a new galaxy, often referred to as Milkomeda.

A new paper calls on the scientific community to do more to fight rising light pollution and protect the night sky, including banning satellite megaconstellations if necessary.

These weather disasters provide a glimpse of lies ahead for planet Earth if humankind fails to stop climate change progress.

Astrobiologists should examine space dust and other exoplanetary debris to search for the existence of life beyond Earth, a new study suggests.

The best gear and techniques you need to shoot astrophotographs successfully using an analog film camera.

The Ruko F11GIM2 is a basic beginner drone that comes in a kit with everything you need to get started, but its image quality is lacking.

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This ultimate collector series Lego Millennium Falcon can be yours in less than 12 parsecs for a price we've not seen in a long, long time.

CBS and Paramount Home Entertainment to hold a "Star Trek Trivia Night" on March 24.

Video: 01:03:07

Watch the replay of the media information session to hear about further transformation measures and ambitious, new ideas for space exploration following ESA's 315th Council, taking place in the freshly renovated ESA HQ Nikis building in Paris.

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and ESA Council Chair Anna Rathsman will cover the following topics: the implementation steps of the results of CM22, including the transformation of ESA to be fit for the future, the Space Summit planned for November 2023, as well as the public release of certain official ESA documents. Moreover, the final report and recommendations of the “HLAG”, the High Level Advisory Group for Exploration, will be presented and discussed. Further ESA Programme progress reports will be given e. g. on: Earth Observation, Space Safety/Operations, Space Transportation, Planetary Sciences, etc.

Ever since its launch in 1990, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has been an interplanetary weather observer, keeping an eye on the ever-changing atmospheres of the largely gaseous outer planets. And it’s an unblinking eye that allows Hubble’s sharpness and sensitivity to monitor a kaleidoscope of complex activities over time. Today new images are shared of Jupiter and Uranus.

A distant cluster sparkles with ancient stars in a gorgeous new image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

New research investigates how relativistic jets from a supermassive black hole has been shaping the Teacup Galaxy, giving it its iconic handle.

Sultan Al Neyadi, who flew to space March 2 as part of the SpaceX Crew-6 mission, may not fast on the International Space Station under an exception for travelers.

Video: 00:02:20

In the week of 13-17 March 2023, more than 1400 students attended the ESA School Days event at ESRIN, the ESA Centre for Earth Observation located in Frascati, near Rome, Italy. The students and their teachers, coming from Lazio and other Italian regions, discovered more about ESA and the projects it is involved in, thanks also to creative hands-on labs, a visit to the Earth observation multimedia centre and the launch of rocket models. During the full-day visit, the focus was on themes such as Earth observation, satellites in orbit, ESA launch programmes, asteroid tracking, and how space exploration and ESA’s activities benefit daily life. 

Italian:

Nella settimana del 13-17 marzo 2023, più di 1400 studenti hanno preso parte all’evento ESA School Days a ESRIN, il Centro ESA per l’Osservazione della Terra situato a Frascati, vicino Roma. È stata questa un’occasione, per gli studenti e per i loro insegnanti provenienti dalle scuole del Lazio e di altre regioni italiane, per conoscere meglio l’ESA e scoprire i numerosi progetti spaziali in cui l’Agenzia è coinvolta, grazie anche ai laboratori creativi, alla visita al centro multimediale di Osservazione della Terra e al lancio di razzo modelli. Nel corso della visita di un giorno sono stati approfonditi temi quali Osservazione della Terra, satelliti in orbita, programmi di lancio dell’ESA, ricerca e monitorraggio di asteroidi, e come l’esplorazione dello spazio e le attività dell’ESA portino beneficio alle attività quotidiane qui sulla Terra.

Relativity Space's Terran 1 rocket, the world's first 3D-printed launcher, failed to reach orbit Wednesday (March 22) on its debut liftoff — but it notch some important milestones.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter took to the Martian skies again on Tuesday (March 21), making its 48th flight above the floor of Jezero Crater.

Arkisys Inc. and its partners awarded $1.6 million contract by the U.S. Space Force for scalable spaceport.