NASA Ultraviolet Optical telescope: Image of M31

This mosaic of M31 merges 330 individual images taken by the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope aboard NASA's Swift spacecraft.

It is the highest-resolution image of the galaxy ever recorded in the ultraviolet.

Also known as the Andromeda Galaxy, M31 is more than 220,000 light-years across and lies 2.5 million light-years away.

On a clear, dark night, the galaxy is faintly visible as a misty patch to the naked eye.

The irregular shape of the image results when the more than 300 images were assembled to make the final image.

Image Credit: NASA/Swift/Stefan Immler (GSFC) and Erin Grand (UMCP)