NGC 7331 ("Twin" of the Milky Way)

The distance to NGC 7331 is 43 million light-years. Its diameter is about 120,000 light-years. It has a pronounced spiral structure. The photograph of NGC 7331 is often used to give an idea of the appearance of the Milky Way. The angular size of the galaxy is 10.2x4.2 arcminutes. The brightest object not included in the Messier catalog.