Galactic Immigration in the Andromeda Galaxy

Striking new evidence for a mass immigration of stars into the Andromeda Galaxy has been uncovered by researchers led by astronomers at NSF NOIRLab. The team used the DOE’s Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument on the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab, to reveal intricate structures in this galaxy with unprecedented detail and clarity. Each of the dots on this image represents an individual star in the Andromeda Galaxy, with the motion of the star (relative to the galaxy) color-coded from blue (moving toward us) to red (moving away from us).