Andromeda Galaxy

The largest of our galactic neighbours is still an incomprehensible 2.5 million light years away. At the time the light in this shot started its journey, the Earth was in the early stages of the Pleistocene epoch. A period of Earth‘s longstanding history that marks the beginning of recurring widespread glaciation. Makes you wonder what the Earth and civilisation will look like in another 2.5 million years. The light leaving this system now, will it fall upon an evolved human species, or will we have transcended the bounds of physics and entered an entirely new classification of civilisation?

The Andromeda galaxy is hurtling towards the Milky Way at a speed of 68 miles per second, based on the Doppler shift of its light. Despite this incomprehensible speed, it will take c.4.5 billion years for a collision event to occur, almost the age of the Earth.

Captured on my Seestar S50 as a mosaic over c.3 hours. I also stepped up the saturation and vibrancy to highlight the blues and purples of the outer galactic rings.