What is the closest galaxy to the Milky Way?

Andromeda

The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31, is the closest large neighboring galaxy to the Milky Way. Located about 2.5 million light-years from Earth, Andromeda and the Milky Way are on a collision course and are expected to meet in about 4 billion years. This future cosmic collision will lead to the merging of the two galaxies, creating a new mega-galaxy. Observing Andromeda is possible with the naked eye under dark sky conditions, making it a fascinating sight for amateur astronomers.