milky way

Andromeda is the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way, at a distance of about 2.5 million light years, and consists of about one trillion stars. Its two companion galaxies are M110 above Andromeda, and M32 on the lower right edge of Andromeda. This photo is a stack of 40 exposures, each 20 seconds long, using a Pentax K-1 camera with a 250 mm lens. No telescope or equatorial mount was used, just the camera on a tripod with a remote control to prevent camera shake.