Messier 31, also known as the Andromeda Galaxy, is the closest spiral galaxy to our own Milky Way. Located about 2.537 million light-years away, it is visible to the naked eye from Earth, appearing as a faint smudge in the night sky. This galaxy is home to over a trillion stars and is larger than the Milky Way, making it a fascinating object for astronomers. The Andromeda Galaxy is part of the Local Group, which includes several other galaxies, such as Triangulum Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds. It is on a collision course with the Milky Way, and in about 4.5 billion years, the two galaxies are expected to merge, creating a new galaxy.