The Andromeda Galaxy is faintly visible to the naked eye in the constellation Andromeda. Suppose instead it were located in the same direction in space as the center of the Milky Way Galaxy (but still at its current distance). How would it appear to the eye in that case?
A)It would look about the same, but would be in the constellation Sagittarius instead of Andromeda.
B)It would look about the same, but it would be harder to pick out because its cloud- like appearance would make it blend in with the cloud- like appearance of the Milky Way in our sky.
C)We could not see it at all.
D)It would be much brighter because it would be illuminated by the many stars in the center of our galaxy.

Question

The Andromeda Galaxy is faintly visible to the naked eye in the constellation Andromeda. Suppose instead it were located in the same direction in space as the center of the Milky Way Galaxy (but still at its current distance). How would it appear to the eye in that case?
A)It would look about the same, but would be in the constellation Sagittarius instead of Andromeda.
B)It would look about the same, but it would be harder to pick out because its cloud- like appearance would make it blend in with the cloud- like appearance of the Milky Way in our sky.
C)We could not see it at all.
D)It would be much brighter because it would be illuminated by the many stars in the center of our galaxy.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Placing the Andromeda Galaxy in the direction of the Milky Way's center would obscure it from our view due to the dense dust and numerous stars in the Milky Way's core, effectively blocking its light from reaching us.

The Andromeda Galaxy Is Faintly Visible to the Naked Eye