Double Nucleus of the Andromeda Galaxy, M31 - [Right] HST View
of Andromeda's Galactic Nucleus - A NASA's Hubble Space
Telescope image of a "double nucleus" in the giant spiral galaxy
in Andromeda, M31. Each of the two light-peaks contains a few
million densely packed stars. The brighter object is the
"classic'' nucleus as studied from the ground. However, HST
reveals that the true center of the galaxy is really the dimmer
component. One possible explanation is that the brighter cluster
is the leftover remnant of a galaxy cannibalized by M31. Another
idea is that the true center of the galaxy has been divided in
two by deep dust absorption across the middle, creating the
illusion of This green-light image was taken with HST's Wide
Field and Planetary Camera (WF/PC), in high resolution mode, on
July 6, 1991. The two peaks are separated by 5 light years, The
Hubble image is 40 light years across. - [Center] Ground View of
Andromeda Galaxy Core - The nucleus is at the center of the
bulge of M31, a smooth system