Andromeda galaxy

The Andromeda galaxy, or M31, the Milky Way’s largest galactic neighbour, as viewed by ESA’s Gaia satellite using information from the mission’s second data release. 

This view is not a photograph but was compiled by mapping the total density of stars detected by Gaia in each pixel of the image.  

Acknowledgement: Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC); A. Moitinho / A. F. Silva / M. Barros / C. Barata, University of Lisbon, Portugal; H. Savietto, Fork Research, Portugal