Andromeda’s sphere of influence is much larger than anyone thought

[Mike Wehner]

• NASA scientists have detected a massive halo of plasma surrounding the nearby Andromeda galaxy.
• The halo, a massive orb of influence stretching deep into space, reaches halfway to our own Milky Way galaxy.
• Eventually, Andromeda and the Milky Way are expected to merge into one galaxy.

We hear a lot about the Milky Way and that makes sense since it's the galaxy we happen to live in, but not far away is another galaxy that is just as interesting as our own. It's the Andromeda galaxy, and despite being 2.5 million light-years away ("not far away" is relative when it comes to deep space), there's a lot it could teach us about itself and perhaps even our own galaxy.

Now, in a new study published in The Astrophysical Journal, NASA scientists have spotted what they are calling a "halo" around Andromeda. The halo, which is more like a huge bloom of plasma, stretches 1.3 million light-years into space. That's roughly halfway to our own galaxy, which is an impressive feat.

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Andromeda’s sphere of influence is much larger than anyone thought originally appeared on BGR.com on Fri, 28 Aug 2020 at 22:42:27 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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