Andromeda Galaxy (aka M31) is just next door as large galaxies go, only about 2.5 million light-years. So close and spanning some 260,000 light-years, it took 11 images from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) satellite’s telescope to produce this portrait of the spiral galaxy in ultraviolet light. While its spiral arms stand out in visible light images, they look like rings in UV because the image is dominated by light from hot, young, massive stars. As sites of intense star formation, the rings have been interpreted as evidence Andromeda collided with its smaller neighboring elliptical galaxy M32 more than 200 million years ago.

Image Credit: NASA