Explaining The Universe on Instagram: "The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31, is the closest large spiral galaxy to the Milky Way and the most distant object visible to the naked eye from Earth. Located about 2.5 million light-years away, it spans roughly 220,000 light-years across and contains over a trillion stars — more than twice the number in our own galaxy. Andromeda’s spiral arms are filled with glowing gas, dust, and young, bright stars, giving it a majestic, swirling appearance. Astro