M31 (the Andromeda Galaxy), the nearest large galaxy to ours, a little over 2 million light years away. M31 is very similar to our own galaxy, but a little larger and more massive. Easily visible as a faint fuzz-ball in a dark sky, but only with optical aid in city lights. This is a detailed image of the south side of the galaxy, taken with the Subaru telescope. (Satoshi Miyazaki (NAOJ) et al., Suprime-Cam, Subaru Telescope, NOAJ, apod010917)