The Death of Andromeda

The Andromeda Galaxy is not disappearing, exploding or running out of stars. But it may be entering something astronomers recognize as a kind of galactic old age: it is gradually losing the ability to make new ones.

Using the Hubble Space Telescope, researchers reconstructed 500 million years of star formation across two-thirds of Andromeda's disk. They found a long decline, followed by an especially steep drop during the past 40 million years. The galaxy's great ring of stellar nurseries is going quiet.

This week on Star Trails, we'll find out how astronomers read the fossil record of 200 million individual stars, why a small satellite galaxy named M32 may be involved and what Andromeda's slowdown could tell us about the future of the Milky Way.

Then, in the Night Sky Report for October 18 through the 24th, we'll look for Andromeda itself, explore the first-quarter Moon, watch for fast Orionid meteors from Halley's Comet and finish the week with the Moon beside Saturn.

Connect with us on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social

If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page!

Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.