- #1
Dnj23
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- TL;DR Summary
- Why does the Andromeda galaxy appear so tiny from our perspective
Hi, and thanks for reading. I asked this question in another forum too.
If we agree that Andromeda is 2.5 million light years away, and its diameter around 220,000 light years, I don't see how it just appears as a regular point of light like any other star in the unaided eye.
Something that so extensive is a little over 11 times away from us. For a scale comparison, the Earth is 30 diameters from the moon, or 30 times, and If Andromeda was the diameter of the Earth placed at the moon's distance, it would span at this distance 8 times a full moon.
Where am I going wrong with this?
If we agree that Andromeda is 2.5 million light years away, and its diameter around 220,000 light years, I don't see how it just appears as a regular point of light like any other star in the unaided eye.
Something that so extensive is a little over 11 times away from us. For a scale comparison, the Earth is 30 diameters from the moon, or 30 times, and If Andromeda was the diameter of the Earth placed at the moon's distance, it would span at this distance 8 times a full moon.
Where am I going wrong with this?