Carina Dwarf
Encyclopedia
The Carina Dwarf Spheroidal is a dwarf galaxy
in the Carina
constellation
. It was discovered in 1977 with the UK Schmidt Telescope
by Cannon et al. The Carina Dwarf is receding from the Milky Way
at 230 km/s and is a satellite galaxy
to the Milky Way. The galaxy may also be referred to as ESO 206-G20 or PGC 19441. It appears to have formed several billion years after the formation of the other satellite galaxies of the Milky Way as its older stars are younger than 7 billion years. This makes it a relatively youthful galaxy when compared to the Milky Way, which is estimated to have formed 13.6 billion years ago, or nearly as old as the Universe
itself. It probably has a complex star formation history, with three possible distinct bursts of star formation. It is also being tidally
disrupted by the Milky Way galaxy.
Dwarf galaxy
A dwarf galaxy is a small galaxy composed of up to several billion stars, a small number compared to our own Milky Way's 200-400 billion stars...
in the Carina
Carina (constellation)
Carina is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the keel of a ship, and it was formerly part of the larger constellation of Argo Navis until that constellation was divided in three.-Stars:...
constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
. It was discovered in 1977 with the UK Schmidt Telescope
UK Schmidt Telescope
The 1.2 metre UK Schmidt Telescope is operated by the Australian Astronomical Observatory , and located adjacent to the 3.9 metre Anglo-Australian Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia...
by Cannon et al. The Carina Dwarf is receding from the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
at 230 km/s and is a satellite galaxy
Satellite galaxy
A satellite galaxy orbits a larger galaxy due to gravitational attraction. Although a galaxy is made of a large number of objects which are not connected to each other, it has a center of mass, which represents a weighted average of the positions of each component object...
to the Milky Way. The galaxy may also be referred to as ESO 206-G20 or PGC 19441. It appears to have formed several billion years after the formation of the other satellite galaxies of the Milky Way as its older stars are younger than 7 billion years. This makes it a relatively youthful galaxy when compared to the Milky Way, which is estimated to have formed 13.6 billion years ago, or nearly as old as the Universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
itself. It probably has a complex star formation history, with three possible distinct bursts of star formation. It is also being tidally
Tidal force
The tidal force is a secondary effect of the force of gravity and is responsible for the tides. It arises because the gravitational force per unit mass exerted on one body by a second body is not constant across its diameter, the side nearest to the second being more attracted by it than the side...
disrupted by the Milky Way galaxy.