News Detail
Andromeda
As seen from the fields!
This is the first of two pictures taken by Nigel Mayes from the Shawnigan Observatory of the Andromeda Galaxy with our Takahashi FSQ 106mm refractor telescope and the attached SBIG camera on Saturday night.
The Andromeda Galaxy is 2.5 million light years away. It's one of the closest galaxies to our own (the Milky Way). All the stars that can be seen in the picture are in our galaxy -- those in Andromeda are too small to see at that distance (though you can see a few dwarf galaxies orbiting Andromeda). During the time of Socrates (about 2500 years ago), the light that formed this image on Saturday had already travelled 99.9% of the way from Andromeda to the telescope/camera in the observatory! In about 4 billion years, our Milky Way will collide with Andromeda. However, it is extremely unlikely that any of the billions of stars themselves will actually be involved in any collisions!
– Stephen Lane
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The Andromeda Galaxy is 2.5 million light years away. It's one of the closest galaxies to our own (the Milky Way). All the stars that can be seen in the picture are in our galaxy -- those in Andromeda are too small to see at that distance (though you can see a few dwarf galaxies orbiting Andromeda). During the time of Socrates (about 2500 years ago), the light that formed this image on Saturday had already travelled 99.9% of the way from Andromeda to the telescope/camera in the observatory! In about 4 billion years, our Milky Way will collide with Andromeda. However, it is extremely unlikely that any of the billions of stars themselves will actually be involved in any collisions!
– Stephen Lane
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
