Andromeda, Unexpected
Marcel Drechsler (Germany), Xavier Strottner (France) and Yann Sainty (France) Astronomy Photographer of the Year, Winners and Galaxies, Winners
A team of amateur astronomers led by Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner and Yann Sainty made a surprising discovery, a huge plasma arc next to the Andromeda Galaxy.
Scientists are now investigating the newly discovered giant in a transnational collaboration. It could be the largest such structure in the nearby environment in the universe.
The Andromeda Galaxy is the closest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way. It is undoubtedly one of the most photographed deep-sky objects ever. The new discovery of such a large structure in the immediate vicinity of the galaxy was all the more surprising.
Judge and astrophotographer László Francsics says, ‘What does a discovery
