Our Galactic Neighbours

Our galaxy is not alone. It has neighbours, and some can be seen from Earth if you know where to look.

The Andromeda Galaxy: Our Largest Neighbour

This galaxy is about two million (2,000,000) light-years away. On a cosmic scale, that is almost next door.

Andromeda is a true giant with around one trillion stars: 1,000,000,000,000. It is roughly twice the size of the Milky Way.

Most amazingly, you can see it from Earth without a telescope. On a clear, dark night it appears as a small hazy patch in the constellation Andromeda.

The Milky Way and Andromeda are slowly moving towards each other. In several billion years they will meet and merge into one enormous galaxy. The stars are unlikely to collide because there is so much space between them. It will be a magnificent cosmic event.

Smaller Neighbours

We also have smaller neighbours: the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. They resemble two fluffy clouds orbiting the Milky Way.

They are much closer than Andromeda, only about 160,000 light-years away. They are visible from Earth’s Southern Hemisphere.

Are There Any Other Neighbours?

Of course. Around fifty galaxies travel near the Milky Way. Some are tiny, like little villages beside a great city.