                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2026 February 13

                             NGC 147 and NGC 185
                    Image Credit & Copyright: Chuck Ayoub

   Explanation: Dwarf galaxies NGC 147 (left) and NGC 185 stand side by
   side in this deep telescopic portrait. The two are not-often-imaged
   satellite galaxies of M31, the great spiral Andromeda Galaxy, some 2.5
   million light-years away. Their separation on the sky, less than one
   degree across a pretty field of view toward the constellation
   Cassiopeia, translates to only about 35 thousand light-years at
   Andromeda's distance, but Andromeda itself is found well outside this
   frame. Brighter and more famous satellite galaxies of Andromeda, M32
   and M110, are seen much closer to the great spiral. NGC 147 and NGC 185
   have been identified as binary galaxies, forming a gravitationally
   stable binary system. But recently discovered faint dwarf galaxy
   Cassiopeia II also seems to be part of their system, forming a
   gravitationally bound group within Andromeda's intriguing population of
   small satellite galaxies.

                   Tomorrow's picture: floral arrangement
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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