Draw the constellation Perseus and Andromeda. Beautiful constellation andromeda

The constellation Andromeda was associated with legends and heroic tales in the past. In our time, it has become even more famous - and not because of its bright or recognizable design, and not because of its special position in the sky, such as the constellation. The reason for attention to this constellation lies in its main attraction, Andromeda Nebula . This celestial body, although called a nebula, is a huge spiral galaxy - the closest large galaxy to the Milky Way. Over the past century, the Andromeda Galaxy has played a prominent role in the development of our understanding of the Universe.

The constellation Andromeda and its main attraction is the large spiral galaxy M31, better known as the Andromeda Nebula. Photo: Fred Espenak

Although Andromeda is included in Ptolemy's list of 48 constellations that were in use among the ancient Greeks and Romans, it is obvious that in our modern form it appeared in the sky later than, for example, the constellation Ursa Major. There is, however, fragmentary information that Andromeda was mentioned in her poems by the poet Sappho in the 7th century BC, that Euripides and Sophocles named Andromeda as the heroine of their dramas, but it is still not clear who exactly appeared under this name. Was this the daughter of the mythical Cepheus? This is possible if those who believe that the Greeks borrowed the plot of the legend of Perseus from more ancient civilizations are right.

Richard Allen, a famous researcher of star names, takes us back to Euphrates times:

“...Says claims that she appeared in the great Babylonian work, The Epic of Creation, more than two millennia BC, in the story of Bel Marduk and the dragon Tiamat, which was undoubtedly the basis for the legend of Perseus and Andromeda.” .

Let us turn to this beautiful story.

The Legend of the Constellation Andromeda

At that time when magic and magic ruled the world, when the gods lived on Mount Olympus, when even the morning dawn could not appear in the sky without the will and desire of Eos, King Kepheus (Cepheus) ruled in distant Ethiopia. He had a beautiful wife named Cassiopeia, and a marriageable daughter, Andromeda. The hot sun provided warmth, the Nile irrigated the fields, and the Red Sea supplied people with fish. And everything would be fine in the state of Cepheus, if only not for the boasting of Cassiopeia.

Once the queen declared that she was more beautiful than all the sea nymphs and Nereids combined. The nymphs, of course, heard about this and were greatly offended. Being daughters and granddaughters of the powerful Poseidon, they immediately complained to the god of the seas. Poseidon decided to take revenge and sent a sea monster to Ethiopia, Kita. The monster regularly devastated the country, causing untold suffering, and what’s worse, it was impossible to find a solution to it.

Then Cepheus decided to turn to the oracle of Zeus for advice. “Give your daughter Andromeda to the monster,” said the oracle. “Then your country will be saved.”

The king was in despair. Is it possible to sacrifice your own daughter? How could it be otherwise, because the monster will simply ruin the country! Cepheus would probably have remained in confusion for a long time, but then his own people, having heard about the oracle’s advice, literally forced the king to take decisive action.

And now Andromeda stands on the seashore, awaiting death, chained to a rock. There is no turning back; father and mother are nearby, everyone is waiting for the monster.

Just at this moment he comes on stage Perseus, son of Zeus. Shod in winged sandals, he flew over the coast of Ethiopia on the way from the Gorgon Island, where he managed to behead the terrible Medusa, from one glance at which people turned to stone. Seeing the beautiful Andromeda on the shore, seeing sad parents and crowds of people standing on a rock and anxiously peering into the sea, Perseus went down to the shore to find out what was the reason for such an amazing picture.

This is how the brilliant Gustave Moreau depicted the battle of Perseus and the terrible Whale. Source: mythologian.net

After listening to Andromeda's story, Perseus immediately declared that he would save her if he got the girl as his wife. Andromeda happily agreed. Cepheus and Cassiopeia also agreed. Then Perseus began to prepare for the monster's visit. He took the bag containing the head of Medusa from his shoulder and girded himself with a magic sword, which brought him victory in any battle. The winged sandals were supposed to give Perseus invulnerability and agility.

And yet, despite the first-class equipment, the battle turned out to be difficult. No matter how Perseus struck with his sword, the monster did not want to die. It moved inevitably towards Andromeda, bleeding, but repelling the attacks of the brave Perseus. In the end, the battle ended on the shore, when Perseus finished off the monster almost at the very feet of the poor girl.

Well, then, as usual in tales with a good ending, there was a wedding and a royal feast. There were, however, some hiccups: Cepheus’s brother Phineus, to whom Andromeda was already betrothed, appeared at the feast and demanded that Perseus give up someone else’s bride. Our hero had to take the head of the terrible Medusa out of the bag and turn the enemy to stone.

And today Andromeda stands in the sky, chained to a rock. At the horizon, the monster Whale emerges from the sea, Perseus holds the head of Medusa in one hand, and a magical curved sword in the other. Cepheus and Cassiopeia are almost at their zenith in the fall, with the constellation Cassiopeia turning upside down at certain times of the year. They say that Poseidon ordered this to be done - some for fun, and some for edification.

How to find Andromeda in the sky

After such an epic story (it’s no wonder that filmmakers have paid attention to it recently), you’ll probably want to see the Andromeda constellation with your own eyes. It's not difficult to do this. First, we will tell you how to find the constellation in the fall, and then at other times of the year.

So, in September, October and November, Andromeda is visible all night. In the evening, immediately after dusk, the constellation is in the east, late in the evening and at midnight - in the south, and in the morning - in the west.

First, look for a giant quadrangle in the sky formed by four 2nd magnitude stars. Pegasus Square, as observers call this asterism, is located east of the Great Summer Triangle.

To the left of this quadrangle, a chain of stars of approximately the same brilliance extends, forming something like a handle for a huge celestial saucepan. This chain, which includes the stars α, δ, β and γ Andromeda, is the main pattern of the constellation.

Andromeda's chain of bright stars forms the "handle" for the largest bucket in our sky. Drawing: Stellarium

Another way to search for Andromeda is this. First, find the constellation Cassiopeia in the sky. It is well known for its bright stars that form the letter M or W depending on the position of this constellation in the sky. The chain of Andromeda stars is located directly under letter W (or, what is the same, above letter M).

The constellation Andromeda lies directly below the constellation Cassiopeia, which is known for its pattern resembling the Latin letter W. Drawing: Stellarium

If in the fall in the evenings Andromeda is observed in the south, then with the onset of winter the constellation moves to the west, and in the spring in the evenings it is in the northwest. In mid-latitudes, Andromeda only partially sets beyond the horizon, and north of St. Petersburg it is generally a non-setting constellation. But on the short nights of May and June it is almost impossible to see it floating above the dawn in the north - the sky is too bright during the white nights!

Of course, even a person with a rich imagination will not see a beautiful girl in the “hand” we described. However, this is not the entire constellation - Andromeda occupies a much larger area in the sky! In the north, Andromeda is bounded by the constellations Cassiopeia and Perseus, in the east by Perseus, in the south by Pisces and Triangulum, and in the west by the Lizard and Pegasus. But to see all of Andromeda's faint stars, you'll most likely have to get out of town!

If we take into account the faint stars of Andromeda, then a human figure begins to be discerned in the drawing of the constellation! Drawing: Stellarium/Big Universe

There, having gotten used to the darkness, you will be amazed: it turns out that the star Alferaz (aka Alpha Andromeda), forming the upper left corner of Pegasus Square, is girl's head, the stars δ, σ and θ indicate Andromeda's shoulders, β, μ and ν Andromeda - waist, and the stars γ and 51 Andromeda are her legs. Hands of Andromeda marked with stars λ and κ on one side and star ζ on the other.

Why are the girl’s arms spread out to the sides? Yes, because she stands chained to a rock! As the great al-Sufi wrote, “the constellation of the Chained Woman is so called because her right hand is extended north to three stars... and the other south to the back of the Northern Fish”.

The constellation Andromeda in Alexander Jameson's 1822 celestial atlas. Source: peoplesguidetothecosmos.com

As you can see, the design of the Andromeda constellation really resembles a human figure, however, its position is strange: it seems to be lying on its side.

The constellation Andromeda is not very bright, but the same can be said about absolutely all autumn constellations. But, as we have seen, its main design is easy to remember: in the city sky it is a “handle” attached to the left side of the Pegasus Square, and outside the city it takes on a human silhouette.

Sometimes, while reading stories about constellations, “strange” questions begin to come to mind. In the case of Andromeda, questions may be: what kind of rock was Andromeda chained to? What color was her skin? What constellation was planned in place of Andromeda during the time of the church reform of the sky - fortunately, which never took place?..

Really, where was the rock to which Andromeda was chained? It turns out that ancient geographers also asked this question! According to Strabo, in Jope, near the modern capital of Israel, Tel Aviv. The Jewish historian Josephus even claimed that in his time (1st century AD) traces of Andromeda's chains and the bones of the monster's foot could still be found on the shore!

Others, of course, laughed at these tales: Jope is too far from Ethiopia! Obviously, the rock was located in Ethiopia itself on the shores of the Red Sea! But then it turns out that Andromeda was... a black woman?! Ovid calmly wrote to this that “the homeland gives everything its color.” True, according to his version, as well as according to Herodotus, the birthplace of Andromeda was India.

All this confusion “in the testimony” of respected authors is quite understandable - at that time Ethiopia was considered a little-studied outskirts of the Ecumene. Remote regions, as you know, have always been an inexhaustible source of rumors and fables. That's monster whale , the real existence of which was already difficult to believe in Roman times, took on flesh and blood as soon as the conversation turned to distant seas and countries.

By the way, the monster that Poseidon sent to Ethiopia didn't look like a whale at all! It's just that in Greek a monster sounds like Cetus, and already in Rus' this word began to be used to refer to the exotic “miracle Yudo, whale fish”!

Image of the Whale in the atlas of Johann Bayer. © Virtual Museum of Tartu Observatory

Although, as we have seen, the history of Andromeda dates back to ancient Babylon, not all peoples of that time had this constellation. So, the Phoenicians had a completely different constellation in place of Andromeda - Current. In their imagination, in this part of the sky there was a large wheat field with harvesters working in it. In addition to the stars of Andromeda, this ancient and forgotten constellation also included the stars of Cassiopeia.

Andromeda's nebula

Of course, the most important object in Andromeda is the famous Nebula, located where old maps depicted the girl’s waist, near the star ν. Andromeda's nebula has been known at least since the 10th century, when it was described by al-Sufi as a “little heavenly cloud.” Indeed, on a moonless night it is quite clearly visible to the naked eye. It is all the more surprising that in Europe almost no one knew about its existence until the first observations of the sky using a telescope.

The Andromeda constellation and the M31 galaxy on a star map.

You can easily find it in the autumn starry sky by the giant asterism “Great Square of Pegasus”, and the upper left part of this square will be the beginning of the constellation Andromeda. The characteristic figure of the constellation is an elongated chain of three stars in the northeast direction, directed towards Perseus. The constellation itself occupies an area of ​​722.3 square degrees in the sky, and contains 160 stars visible to the naked eye (away from city pollution).

This constellation of the northern sky has become especially popular these days. Our neighboring galaxy in the constellation Andromeda attracts the close attention of not only astronomers, but also science fiction writers. The famous Andromeda nebula, or galaxy M31, is visible to the naked eye. During telescopic observations, its two bright satellites are also visible - the galaxies M32 and NGC 205.

Andromeda constellation and objects for astronomy lovers

• γ And(02 h 03 m 54.0 s, +42° 19′ 47″), Alamak: a multiple star system consisting of four components. The bright components of the system form a beautiful pair of stars, easily separated by small telescopes. The angular distance between the bright components is 9.6″, the magnitudes are 2.3 m and 5.0 m, respectively. The color of this pair is orange and blue
• υ And(01 h 36 m 47.98 s, +41°24′23″), a 4.1 m star whose mass and luminosity is slightly greater than that of the Sun. It is located 44 light years from our solar system. It is an exoplanet system consisting of four planets.

Description

Andromeda is a constellation of the northern hemisphere that has a characteristic pattern called an asterism. These are the three brightest stars located in a line stretching from northeast to southwest.

Alamak (γ Andromeda) - a triple system consisting of main star yellow color with a magnitude of 2 m and its companions - two physically connected bluish stars. The star Alferaz (α Andromeda, 2.1 m) has two more names: Alpharet and the full Arabic name “Sirrah al-Faras”, which means “navel of the horse”. Both belong to the so-called navigation stars, by which sailors determine their position at sea.

Among other, less noticeable stars, very interesting ones can be identified: υ Andromeda, around which a planetary system similar to the Solar one was discovered, and ο Andromeda - a variable star of an unknown type, changing the amplitude of its brightness from 3.5 to 4.0 magnitude. The spectrum of this star shows that it consists of two stars orbiting a common center of mass. The rotation period is one and a half days.

The most important object in the constellation is probably the most famous nebula - the Andromeda Nebula; This is the M31 galaxy. It can be seen even on a moonless night naked eye like a small foggy spot.

M31 is the closest spiral galaxy to us, which is approximately 2.2 million light years away from Earth. Inside the nebula there are about 170 spherical star clusters, and outside it is surrounded by four much smaller star systems, the so-called dwarf galaxies. With the discovery of M31, systematic observations of galaxies began, in which the Hubble Space Telescope plays a special, significant role.

The most interesting objects

Andromeda nebula or galaxy M31. Visible to the naked eye as a nebulous spot in the constellation Andromeda

M31 - NGC 224 - Andromeda Nebula- a spiral galaxy, the brightest in the earth's sky (excluding the Magellanic Clouds). This is the largest galaxy closest to the Milky Way, which, together with its satellites, is part of the Local Group of galaxies M31, visible to the naked eye as a large nebulous cloud with a brightness of 3.4 m. In 1923, Edwin Hubble discovered the first Cepheid in the Andromeda nebula and, by determining its distance, established the true nature of M31 and the real intergalactic scale. Today, the distance to the Andromeda nebula is estimated at 2 million 900 thousand light years. years. This is the most studied of the known galaxies, because it is much easier to learn the structure of our Galaxy by studying its similarity from the outside. Research recent years showed that the Andromeda nebula is in interaction with its satellite M32, which, in turn, causes disturbances in its spiral structure. Modern astronomical instruments make it possible to study individual objects located in the Andromeda nebula. So, it turned out that there are more than 300 globular star clusters in this galaxy. Among them, a real giant was discovered - the G1 cluster, which is the brightest in the Local Group of galaxies. The angular dimensions of M31 are 178×63", which corresponds to linear dimensions of 200 thousand light years. The mass of this galaxy is approximately equal to 300-400 billion solar masses. According to modern estimates, this is less than the mass of our Galaxy. The Milky Way is smaller in size Andromeda nebula, but denser. Studies carried out by the Hubble Space Telescope have shown that M31 has a double core. Recently, the space telescope has discovered many double cores in galaxies. This may be due to the constant process of galaxy collisions. The Andromeda nebula could have absorbed a dwarf galaxy, the core which is located next to its own. M31 is moving towards our Galaxy, and in about 4-5 billion years the neighbors should collide. The Andromeda nebula has about 10 satellite galaxies. The two brightest of them are M110 (NGC 205) and M32 - are easily observed in small amateur telescopes.

γ Andromeda- double star, consisting of two components with a magnitude of 2.2 m and 5.0 m. 56 Andromeda is a double star consisting of two 6th star components. quantities.

NGC 752- an open star cluster occupying an area in the sky equal to two lunar disks (60"). It is best observed through a telescope with low magnification or binoculars. Contains about 60 stars. Brightness - 5.7 m. Distance from the Sun at a distance of 1300 light . years.

S Andromeda- a supernova belonging to the Andromeda nebula (M31). It was observed on August 20, 1885, but if we take into account that the light from M31 travels for about 3 million years, then this star flared up much earlier. The star's brightness reached 6th magnitude. quantities. By February 16, 1890, the star ceased to be observed.

NGC 7662- a planetary nebula, clearly visible in a small amateur telescope. When using the powerful tool, a beautiful blue-green disc is visible. Brightness - 9 m, angular diameter - 5".

M32 - NGC 221- elliptical galaxy type E2, satellite of the Andromeda nebula. It is a member of the Local Group of galaxies. It has a brightness of 8.1 m and is easily observed in small amateur telescopes. It is a dwarf galaxy with a mass of 3 billion solar masses. The angular dimensions in the sky are 8×6", linear - 8 thousand light years. M32 consists mainly of old stars. In galaxies of this type, only low-mass stars are observed, because they are longer-lived. All high-mass stars have already evolved and become into white dwarfs, neutron stars or black holes. Studies of M32 show that in this galaxy there are no interstellar gas and dust clouds, planetary nebulae, open star clusters. There is no star formation. The youngest stars are about 2-3 billion years old. Study of the core M32 showed that its mass is almost equal to the core of the Andromeda nebula and is equal to approximately 100 million solar masses. It is possible that this galaxy was previously more massive and lost its stars and globular star clusters when interacting with other galaxies, in particular with M31. Maybe Perhaps the stars of the spiral arms and diffuse matter were captured by the Andromeda nebula and are now part of its halo.On August 31, 1998, a new star flared up in M32. Its brilliance reached 16.5 m.

M110 - NGC 205- an elliptical galaxy of the E6p class, a satellite of the Andromeda nebula. This galaxy is a member of the Local Group of galaxies M110. It has a somewhat unusual structure and contains clouds of dust unusual for elliptical galaxies. It is called a dwarf spherical galaxy. The mass of M110 is small - about 3.6-15 billion solar masses. But despite this, a system of eight globular star clusters is observed around this dwarf galaxy. Brightness - 8.5 m, angular dimensions - 17"x10".

NGC 891- the second brightest galaxy in the constellation Andromeda. It is located at a distance of 3.4° from the star Al Maak (γ Andromeda). Brightness - 10 m, angular dimensions - 14"x2".

NGC 7640- SBb-class barred spiral galaxy. Brightness - 10.9 m, angular dimensions - 10.7"x2.5".

IC 239- barred spiral galaxy, class SBc. Brightness - 11.22 m, angular dimensions - 4.6"x4.3".

History of the study

The constellation Andromeda has been known since the Middle Ages and is included in the star atlas of Claudius Ptolemy “Almagest”.

The Andromeda nebula was discovered by the Arab astronomer Al-Sufi. He described it in his Book of the Fixed Stars (964 AD) as a "little cloud" which he observed for 60 years. In Europe, seven hundred years later, the nebula was described by Galileo's contemporary and colleague in the first telescopic observations, Simon Marius. Another European, Giovanni Batista Odierna (1597-1660), independently of Al-Sufi and Marius, discovered the site in late 1653.

Observation

The constellation Andromeda is clearly visible throughout Russia. It is located high in the night sky, making it accessible to study throughout the night. Best time November is for observations, but you can start from September.

Finding the constellation is not difficult. On an autumn evening on the southern side of the sky you need to find the Great Square of the constellation Pegasus. In its northeastern corner (“upper left”) is the star Alferaz (α-Andromeda), from which the constellation Andromeda stretches to the northeast.

To the left is the “compass” of Perseus, and above is the constellation Cassiopeia, with a characteristic pattern in the form of a large letter “W”.

The closest neighboring galaxy to the Milky Way is Andromeda. It is significantly larger in size than our galaxy and, according to various estimates, may have 2.5-5 times more stars than our Milky Way. It can be easily seen in the night sky from Earth. It is located in the constellation Andromeda, which is how it got its name.

The Andromeda Galaxy has attracted the attention of scientists for centuries. The first written mention of this galaxy is contained in the Catalog of Fixed Stars by the Persian astronomer Al-Sufi (946), who described it as a “small cloud”. Interest in it is due not only to its close proximity to us, but also to some other interesting features, which we will talk about today.

Also known as Messier 31, or M31

It received this name from Charles Messier, the French astronomer, who included it in his famous catalog under the definition of M31. Messier cataloged many objects in the Northern Hemisphere, although not all of them were discovered by Messier.

In 1757, the scientist began searching for Halley's Comet, but calculations showed that he was mistaken in the coordinates. However, at the same observation location, he discovered a nebula - the first object he cataloged under the name M1 (also known as the Crab Nebula). Interestingly, the first to observe it was the English astronomer John Bevis back in 1731. An object called M31 was included in Messier's catalog in 1767. By the end of that year, a total of 38 objects had been added to the catalogue. By 1781, the number was already 103 objects, 40 of which were discovered by Messier personally.

Got its name from the constellation Andromeda

You can see the constellation Andromeda in the night sky between the Great Square asterism and the star α Cassiopeia (the second lower corner, if the observer sees the constellation Cassiopeia in the form of the letter W). According to ancient Greek myths, Princess Andromeda, wife of the Greek hero Perseus, turned into a constellation after her death. The constellation was included in the catalog for the first time starry sky Claudius Ptolemy's Almagest. Other stars in the constellation (Perseus, Cassiopeia, Cetus and Cepheus) also received their names in honor of the characters of this myth.

The Andromeda constellation is also home to numerous other objects. It is located outside the galactic plane and does not contain clusters or nebulae of the Milky Way. However, it contains other visible galaxies. One of them is the Andromeda galaxy.

It's bigger than the Milky Way

In astronomy, the concept of light year is often used, with the help of which the distance to certain objects is determined, but some astronomers prefer to use the term parsec. When talking about very large distances, the term kiloparsec is used, which is equal to 1000 parsecs, as well as megaparsec, which is the equivalent of 1 million parsecs. The Milky Way extends over about 100,000 light years, or 30 kiloparsecs. At first glance, this may seem like a very large distance, but in fact, compared to other galaxies, ours looks rather small.

The approximate diameter of the Andromeda Galaxy is 220,000 light years, more than twice the size of the Milky Way. It is the largest galaxy in the local group. If the Andromeda Galaxy were even brighter, it might appear larger than the Moon in the night sky, even though it is much, much further away. Speaking of distance: the galaxy is located approximately 9.5 trillion kilometers from Earth (the Moon, remember, is only 384,000 kilometers away).

Contains a trillion stars

According to rough estimates, the Milky Way may contain between 100 and 400 billion stars. But this is nothing compared to Andromeda, which may contain about one trillion. Thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists have learned that among this trillion there is a very large and rare population of hot and bright stars.

Hot, young stars tend to appear blue. However, the blue stars discovered in the Andromeda Galaxy appear to be aging, more Sun-like stars that have burned away their inner layers and exposed their hot blue cores. They are scattered throughout the center of the galaxy and are the brightest in the ultraviolet range.

Has a double core

One more interesting fact about the Andromeda galaxy is its double core. Observations have shown that in the central part of the galaxy there are two bright objects (P1 and P2), separated by a distance of only 5 light years. Each of them contains several million young blue stars densely spaced from each other.

Astronomers later discovered that the two cores were not two separate clusters of stars, but rather one donut-shaped cluster and a supermassive black hole with a mass exceeding 140 million solar masses. The stars in the P1 cluster orbit the black hole very closely, like planets around the Sun, creating the effect of having a double core.

Will collide with our galaxy

Intergalactic collapse awaits us. The Andromeda Galaxy is currently moving towards the Milky Way at a speed of 400,000 kilometers per hour. At this speed, you can fly around the globe in just 6 minutes. Astronomers predict that in about 3.75 billion years the Milky Way and Andromeda will collide. What will happen to the Earth after this?

Experts believe that, despite such a large-scale event, the Earth will still survive. Along with the rest of the solar system. Scientists suggest that our planet will hardly suffer from this intergalactic collapse, since both galaxies have a lot of free space. Nevertheless, it will be very interesting to observe the event from Earth (if, of course, life still exists on it by that time). Both galaxies will be attracted to each other until the black holes at their centers eventually merge into one. Once this happens, our solar system will become part of a completely different galaxy - an elliptical one. If the Sun does not engulf the Earth in about 5 billion years, then every night on it will be very bright, thanks to the presence of many new stars. Instead of the Milky Way's streak of light, we'll see a more spheroidal light source.

Has an absolute value of 3.4

In astronomy, the absolute value characterizes the luminosity of an astronomical object. It allows us to determine the brightness of any object, regardless of its distance from us.

The Andromeda Galaxy has an absolute magnitude of 3.4, which makes it the brightest object in the Messier catalog. On a moonless night, the galaxy is visible even to the naked eye. However, it is worth noting that only the central part of the galaxy will be visible to the naked eye. It will look like a dim star. If you look at it through binoculars, it will look like a small elliptical cloud. If observed with a large telescope, it can appear up to six times larger than the Moon.

It's full of black holes

There were once 9 known black holes in the Andromeda Galaxy, but the actual number grew to 35 in 2013. Astronomers observed 26 new black hole candidates, making the galaxy one of the most densely populated with such objects. Most of these new black holes have masses that are 5 to 10 times the mass of our Sun. Seven black holes are located approximately 1,000 light-years from the galactic center.

Astronomers are confident that in the future they will be able to detect even more such objects in this galaxy. For example, in 2017, two more new black holes were discovered. At the same time, it was noted that both objects are in the most dangerous proximity ever documented. They are separated by a distance of only 0.01 light years, which is approximately equal to a couple of hundred distances from the Earth to the Sun. Experts estimate that these black holes could collide with each other in less than 350 years, merging into one supermassive black hole.

Contains 450 globular clusters

Globular clusters are tightly packed collections of old stars tightly bound by gravity. They may contain hundreds of thousands and even millions of stars. Globular clusters help determine the age of the Universe and often help determine where the center of the galaxy is. Astronomers have discovered at least 200 globular clusters in the Milky Way, and about 450 in Andromeda.

The number of globular clusters near Andromeda may be much larger, but the distant reaches of this galaxy still remain poorly understood. If the globular clusters in the Andromeda Galaxy were similar in size to those in the Milky Way, their actual number could be somewhere between 700 and 2800.

The Andromeda Galaxy was once considered a nebula

Nebulae are huge accumulations of gas, dust, hydrogen, helium and plasma in which new stars are born. Galaxies very distant from us were often mistaken for these massive clusters. In 1924, astronomer Edwin Hubble announced that the Andromeda spiral nebula was in fact a galaxy and that the Milky Way was not the only galaxy in the universe.

Hubble has discovered a number of stars belonging to the Andromeda galaxy, including several Cepheids. The latter represent a class of pulsating variable stars with a fairly accurate period-luminosity relationship. He determined how far away these stars were, which helped him calculate the distance the Andromeda Galaxy was from us. It was 860,000 light years away, which is more than 8 times the distance to the farthest stars in the Milky Way. This helped prove that Andromeda is a galaxy, and not a nebula, as was originally proposed. Hubble later confirmed the existence of several dozen other galaxies.

> Andromeda

What does it look like Andromeda constellation in the northern sky: the main stars in the photo, star map, how to find, description, facts, myth, celestial objects of the constellation.

Andromeda - constellation, which is located in the northern sky between Cassiopeia and Pegasus. It got its name from the mythical princess Andromeda.

Andromeda was married to Perseus and is also known as Perseus or Cepheus (daughter of Cepheus). It was first cataloged in the 2nd century by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy. Among the famous astronomical objects in it are the Andromeda Galaxy and dwarf elliptical galaxies and.

Facts, location and map of the constellation Andromeda

The constellation Andromeda is the 19th largest star group in the night sky. Its area is 722 square degrees. It is located in the first quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ1) and is visible at latitudes from +90° to -40°. Next to it are , and . The constellation belongs to the Perseus family, along with , Lizard, Pegasus, Perseus and Triangulum.

The stars of the constellation Andromeda include three objects brighter than magnitude 3. Its three stars are separated from us by 10 parsecs (32.6 light years). The brightest is Alferaz, the closest is Ross 248 (spectral class - M6V), located only 10.3 light years away.

There are several stars that have exoplanets. Upsilon Andromedae (F8V) has four, the triple star Kappa Andromeda (B9IVn) has one, but it is 13 times larger than Jupiter (found in 2012). There is one extrasolar planet on the variable star 14 Andromeda (Veritate), discovered in 2008.

HD 5608 (K0IV) has a transiting planet, and HD 8673 (F7 V) is accompanied by a substellar companion found in 2005 (possibly a brown dwarf). V428 Andromedae (K5III) has two suspicious planets discovered in 1996. Other host stars include: HD 222155 (G2V), HD 16175 (F8 IV), HD 1605 (K1IV, two), HD 13931 (G0), HD 5583 (K0), HD 15082 (kA5 hA8 mF4), HAT-P-6 (F), HAT-P-16 (F8), HAT-P-32 (F/G), WASP-1 (F7V), Kepler-63, HAT-P-19 (K), HAT-P-28 (G3) and HAT-P-53.

Andromeda also has three Messier objects: (M31), and .

The constellation is associated with the Andromedids (Bielids) - a meteorite shower. It was first recorded over Russia on December 6, 1741. Since its discovery it has lost its brightness, but still appears in mid-November. The main body is Comet 3D/Biela, recorded in 1772.

The myth of the constellation Andromeda

In the myths of Ancient Greece, Andromeda was the child of the Ethiopian king Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia. She incurred the wrath of the Nereids (sea nymphs) because she said that she was superior to them in beauty. The nymphs got angry and complained to Poseidon, who sent a sea monster (Cetus) to hunt. The king asked the oracle for advice. It was important for him to protect the kingdom and its inhabitants. He advised him to respect Poseidon and sacrifice his daughter. The king agreed, but Perseus saved her. They got married and had 6 children.

After everything that happened, the goddess Athena decided to capture Andromeda among the constellations, placing her next to her husband and mother.

The main stars of the constellation Andromeda

This brightest star, which is sometimes called Sirrah. It is 97 light years away from us.

It is a double star with an apparent magnitude of +2.06. The hot blue star qualifies as a B8 subgiant. The brighter one in the vapor consists of mercury, manganese and other elements. The mass is equal to 3.6 solar, and the temperature reaches 13800 K. It is 200 times brighter than the Sun, so this is the brightest mercury-manganese star.

The star's companion is also more massive than the Sun and is 10 times brighter. The two stars orbit each other every 96.7 days.

Alpherats was once considered part of Pegasus, so it bore two names - Alpha Andromeda and Delta Pegasus. Alferaz and Sirrah come from the Arabic phrase "al surrat al-faras" - "the navel of the horse."

Alferaz is the northeastern star of Pegasus. There are three more stars that together form a square. Among them: Markab, Sheat and Algenib. Alferats connects Andromeda with Pegasus, depicting the episode when Perseus's horse rushed to save Andromeda.

Mirach – Beta Andromeda

Converges in apparent magnitude with Alferats (it varies from +2.01 to +2.10). It is a suspected semiregular variable star. Here is an M-type red giant, 200 light years away. It exceeds the Sun in brightness by 1900 times and by 3-4 times in mass. Has a star burning hydrogen for a magnitude 14 satellite. Mirach is part of an asterism called a belt.

The name itself is a corruption of the Arabic word for “belt” (placed in Andromeda’s left thigh). It is located 7 arc minutes from the galaxy NGC 404.

Almak – Andromeda Gamma

It ranks third in terms of brightness level. The name comes from the Arabic “al-‘anaq al-‘ard” - “desert lynx”. It is 350 light years away from us. This is a double star. The brighter one is Gamma-1, a golden-yellow giant with a blue companion. They are separated by 10 arc seconds. The first is a bright K-type giant with a magnitude of 2.26 and a distance of 355 light years. 2000 times brighter than the Sun. The weaker one is a double star represented by white dwarfs.

Delta Andromeda

A double star with an apparent magnitude of 3.28, located 101 light years from our system. One star is a bright K-type giant, and the second is a white dwarf or G-type main sequence star.

Iota Andromeda

A B-type main sequence dwarf star, bluish-white in color. It has a magnitude of +4.29 and is 503 light years away.

Upsilon Andromeda

A binary star system consisting of a yellow-white dwarf and a fainter red dwarf. There are 4 planets in orbit the size of Jupiter. Younger than the Sun (3.1 billion years old), it is also more massive and brighter. Planet b is a red dwarf, 750 AU distant from the star.

Upsilon Andromeda is 44 light years away. Ranks 21st on NASA's list of the top 100 places to find terrestrial planets.

Adhil – Xi Andromeda

This is a double star. The name comes from the Arabic word al-dhayl ​​- “train” (“tail”). It is located 196 light years away with a magnitude of +4.875. Spectral class – G9.

51 Andromeda

With a magnitude of 3.57, it is the fifth brightest star in the constellation. You see a K-type orange giant 177 light-years away. Initially, Ptolemy attributed the star to the constellation Andromeda, but Johan Bayer later transferred it to Perseus. English astronomer John Flamsteedo brought it all back.

Mu Andromeda

An A-type white dwarf located 136 light years from Earth. The value is +3.86.

Other famous stars:

Groombridge 34 is a double star consisting of two red dwarfs. At 11.7 light years distant, it is one of the closest double stars to the Sun. Designated Groombridge 34 A and Groombridge 34 B.

Pi Andromedae is a double star 660 light years away. The magnitude of one is 4.3, and the weaker companion is 9.

RX Andromedae is a Z-type Giraffe variable star with a brightness of 10.3 to 14 over 14 days.

R Andromedae is a Mira-type variable star located approximately 4 degrees southwest of the Andromeda Galaxy. Brightness: from 5.8 to 14.9 in 409 days.

56 Andromeda is a double star consisting of two magnitudes of six elements.

Celestial objects of the Andromeda constellation

Andromeda Galaxy (M 31)

The Andromeda Galaxy is the closest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way, and its most distant object can be seen without the use of technology. Located 2.5 million light years away. It used to be called the Great Andromeda Nebula. The apparent visual magnitude is 3.4, (the brightest Messier object). There are a trillion stars in it (in ours there are 200-400 million).

Andromeda belongs to the Local Group of galaxies, along with the Milky Way, the Triangulum Galaxy (M33) and thirty other smaller galaxies. Andromeda is the largest in this group. The mass is roughly equal to the Milky Way galaxy, which it will likely collide with in 4.5 billion years.

Moons of Andromeda

There are at least 14 dwarf galaxies orbiting Andromeda, including M32 and M110. Other satellite galaxies are much fainter and were not discovered until the 1970s. These include the dwarf spheroidal galaxies NGC 147, NGC 185 and Andromeda VII in the constellation Cassiopeia, Andromeda I, Andromeda II, Andromeda III, Andromeda V, Andromeda VIII, Andromeda IX and Andromeda X in the constellation Andromeda, Andromeda VI in the constellation Pegasus and Andromeda XXII in the constellation Pisces. The Triangulum Galaxy (M33) is also believed to be part of the Andromeda Galaxy.

This star cloud in the Andromeda Galaxy is the brightest to an observer on Earth and one of the largest star-forming regions in the Local Group of galaxies.

Very convenient bright stars and is located in a zone free of neutral hydrogen, in one of the spiral arms of Andromeda. Spanning about 400 light years and has an apparent size of 4.2 feet.

Andromeda Cluster - MayaallII

This globular cluster is 130,000 light-years distant from the core of M31 and is the brightest globular cluster in the Local Group of galaxies. The apparent magnitude is 13.7.

Twice the mass of Omega Centauri (the largest in the Milky Way). It is believed that there is an intermediate mass black hole at the center. Some astronomers suspect it is the remnant core of a dwarf galaxy consumed by the larger M31. It was named in honor of Nicholas Mayall in 1953.

It is the first discovered dwarf elliptical galaxy in history, 2.65 million light years away. Found by French astronomer Guillaume Le Gentil in 1749. Despite its size, it is quite bright, making it easy to see with a weak telescope.

Located 22 arc minutes south of the center of Andromeda. It appears to be spreading along the spiral arms of Andromeda and is believed to be on the side closest to us. M32 does not contain globular clusters.

It is speculated that the galaxy was much larger at one point, but then lost its outer stars and globular clusters when it collided with the Andromeda Galaxy.

Mostly contains old stars and lacks star formation. The center is occupied by a supermassive black hole with 1.5-5 million solar masses. It is one of the closest bright elliptical galaxies to our solar system.

Dwarf elliptical (maybe spheroid) galaxy. Contains 8 globular clusters in the halo. Shows signs of recent star formation. Does not have a supermassive black hole (there is no evidence of its presence in the center). Located at a distance of 2.9 million light years.

First spotted by Charles Messier in 1773, along with the Andromeda Galaxy and other objects he discovered, but M110 was not included in the original list.

The galaxy was independently discovered by Caroline Herschel 10 years later. The discovery was celebrated by her brother William Herschel in 1785, but the number was not assigned until 1967.

An open cluster with an apparent magnitude of 5.7, located 1,300 light-years from Earth. The cluster was discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1783. But some think that it was found by Giovanni Batista Hodierna in 1654. Registered in 1786.

Thanks to its brightness and size, it is easily visible through binoculars. Under good conditions, it can even be seen with the naked eye. None of the individual stars exceed 9th magnitude.

An extreme spiral galaxy four degrees east of Almak. Opened on October 6, 1784 by William Herschel. Can be seen with a 4.5-inch telescope. The apparent value is 10.8. It is 27.3 million light years away from Earth. Area – 13.5 x 2.5 feet. Belongs to the group NGC 1023. On August 21, 1986, a supernova was noticed in it (designated SN 1986J with a magnitude of 14).

NGC 7686

An open cluster with an apparent magnitude of 5.6. Distance – 900 light years. Contains about 80 stars and is easily visible through binoculars and small telescopes.

A planetary nebula with a magnitude of 8.6 and located one degree west of the magnitude 4 star Kappa Andromedae. The distance of the nebula is uncertain and is estimated to be 2000-6000 light years. The central star is a bluish dwarf with a temperature of 75,000 K. Radius - 0.8 light years.

More than 40 galaxies centered around the elliptical galaxy NGC 68. Located 300 million light years away. Discovered in 1784 by William Herschel, who cataloged them as a single object. Danish-Irish astronomer John Louis Emil Dreyer was able to find individual objects and registered them as NGC 68, NGC 70 and NGC 71 in the 1880s.

Contains: NGC 68, NGC 67, NGC 67a, NGC 69, NGC 70, NGC 71, NGC 72, NGC 72a and NGC 74. In a smaller cluster: AGC 102760, UGC 152 and UGC 166.

NGC 68 is an E1 type elliptical galaxy. It has a visual magnitude of 12.9 and is 260 million light years away from us. Covers 90,000 light years. Apparent size - 1.288" x 1.202".

NGC 67 is a magnitude 14.2 elliptical (E5) galaxy located 275 million light years away. Found October 7, 1855 by R.J. Mitchell along with NGC 69, NGC 70 and NGC 72. The galaxy is 40,000 light-years wide.

NGC 67a is also an E5 elliptical galaxy. It has a visual magnitude of 14.7 and is 287 million light years away.

NGC 69 is a lenticular (S0) galaxy with an apparent magnitude of 14.7. The distance is 300 million light years and spans 80,000 light years.

NGC 70 is a spiral galaxy spanning 180,000 light years. It has a visual magnitude of 13.5 and is located 320 million light years away. Area – 1.7 x 1.4 inches.

NGC 71 is an elliptical or lenticular galaxy (E5/S0), about 130,000 light-years wide, 310 million light-years from the Sun. It is the second largest galaxy in the group, second only to NGC 70. Its apparent magnitude is 13.2.

NGC 72 is a spiral galaxy with an apparent magnitude of 13.5 located approximately 320 million light-years away. Covers about 120,000 light years.

NGC 72a is an elliptical (E3) galaxy 308 light-years distant and has an apparent magnitude of 14.7. The apparent size is 0.3 x 0.3 inches, which corresponds to an actual size of 25,000 light years.

NGC 74 is a spiral galaxy spanning 65,000 light years. The apparent magnitude is 15.3. It was discovered on October 7, 1855 by William Parsons.

NGC 90 and NGC 93

A pair of connected spiral galaxies. NGC 90 is located 333.8 million light years away, and NGC 93 is 259.7 million light years away. They were found by R.J. Mitchell in 1854. The apparent value of the first is 13.7 and the size is 2.4" x 0.91". There are two distorted, elongated spiral arms, providing evidence of star formation likely caused by interactions. NGC 93 has a visual magnitude of 14.34 and covers an area of ​​1.4" x 0.7" in size.

Ghost of Mirakh – NGC 404

NGC 404 is an isolated dwarf lenticular galaxy located just outside our Local Group. The apparent magnitude is 11.2 and is 10 million light years away. Discovered in 1784 by William Herschel.

Visible size is 3.5" x 3.5". It is located 7 arcminutes from Mirach and is sometimes called Mirach's Ghost because its proximity to the star makes observation and filming difficult.

Andromeda contains a number of other objects that were included in the New General Catalog:

Open clusters NGC 272, as well as spiral galaxies NGC 11, NGC 13, NGC 21, NGC 228, NGC 48, NGC 214, NGC 218, NGC 226, NGC 260, NGC 280, NGC 39, NGC 27, NGC 19, NGC 169 , NGC 184, NGC 140, NGC 109, NGC 160 and NGC 112.

Lenticular galaxies: NGC 81, NGC 149, NGC 20, NGC 69, NGC 229, NGC 243, NGC 304, NGC 43, NGC 80, NGC 393, NGC 389, NGC 94, NGC 258, NGC 96, NGC 108, NGC 86 and NGC 252.