Andromeda Galaxy

The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy located around 2,500,000 light years from the Milky Way Galaxy. The closest point to the Andromeda Galaxy is located in the Alpha Quadrant.

For hundreds of years now, the galaxy has seen a rising radiation level which is believed would make it uninhabitable within 10,000 years. One of the local races of the galaxy, the Kelvan Empire, sent several multi-generational ships out to chart nearby galaxies for habitation. One such group arrived in the Alpha Quadrant in 2267 and were encountered by the crew of the USS Enterprise. (TOS episode: "By Any Other Name").

In the 2280s, Starfleet had begun to look at exploring the Andromeda Galaxy and sent several long-range starships, including the USS Magellanic Clouds, to investigate. (TOS novelization: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan).