The Andromeda Galaxy is the Milky Way’s closest galactic neighbor. At 2.5 million light years away, it is rather large, spanning about 3° of the sky (about the width of six full Moons), and can be seen with the unaided eye when viewed under clear dark skies. As opposed to dramatic spiral arms that appear in photographs, M31 appears as a fuzzy blob of light, which is actually the Andromeda Galaxy’s core, when viewed with binoculars or a modest telescope. Consult a start chart to locate this object in the Andromeda constellation. If you do happen to view this object under a clear, dark sky, and without optical aid, then the answer to “how far can I see?” becomes 2.5 million light years!