Local Group
Encyclopedia
The Local Group is the group
of galaxies
that includes Earth's galaxy, the Milky Way
. The group comprises more than 30 galaxies (including dwarf galaxies), with its gravitational center located somewhere between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy
. The galaxies of the Local Group cover a 10 million light-year
diameter (see 1 E+22 m for distance comparisons) and have a binary (dumbbell) shape. The group is estimated to have a total mass of (1.29 ± 0.14)Ms
.
The group itself is part of the Virgo Supercluster
(i.e. the Local Supercluster).
The two most massive members of the group are the Milky Way
and the Andromeda Galaxy
. These two Spiral galaxies
each have a system of satellite galaxies.
The other members of the group are gravitationally secluded from these large subgroups: IC10
, IC1613
, Phoenix Dwarf
, Leo A
, Tucana Dwarf, Cetus Dwarf
, Pegasus Dwarf Irregular, Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte
, Aquarius Dwarf
, and Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular.
in Chapter VI of his book The Realm of the Nebulae (Hubble 1936, pp. 124–151). There he describes it as "a typical small group of nebulae which is isolated in the general field." In that book he delineated by decreasing luminosity its members to be M31
, the Milky Way
, M33
, the Large Magellanic Cloud
, the Small Magellanic Cloud
, M32
, NGC 205, NGC 6822
, NGC 185
, IC 1613
and NGC 147
. He also identified IC 10
as a possible Local Group member. By 2003, the number of known Local Group members has increased from his initial twelve to thirty-six, by way of the discovery of almost two dozen low-luminosity galaxies.
Image:Local_Group.svg|frame|center|Local group (clickable map)
circle 167 27 20 Sextans B
circle 120 36 23 Sextans A
circle 318 239 20 Milky Way
circle 289 197 16 Leo I (dwarf galaxy)
circle 334 201 15 Canes Dwarf
rect 303 185 318 215 Leo II (dwarf galaxy)
circle 357 289 28 NGC 6822
circle 288 323 24 Phoenix Dwarf
circle 248 391 35 Tucana Dwarf
circle 363 416 20 Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte
circle 363 383 17 Cetus Dwarf
circle 369 346 11 IC 1613
rect 381 335 393 357 SagDIG
rect 393 335 406 356 Aquarius Dwarf
circle 417 304 17 Triangulum Galaxy
circle 417 254 15 NGC 185
rect 432 237 447 260 NGC 147
circle 461 229 17 IC 10
poly 440 282 455 260 511 259 493 285 Andromeda Galaxy
poly 450 264 434 265 431 280 442 280 M110
circle 295 110 20 Leo A
circle 84 128 20 NGC 3109
circle 109 149 14 Antlia Dwarf
circle 412 332 12 LGS 3
circle 460 361 21 Pegasus Dwarf
circle 394 272 14 Andromeda II
rect 427 279 438 294 Andromeda III
rect 438 282 450 294 Andromeda I
desc bottom-left
Galaxy groups and clusters
Galaxy groups and clusters are the largest known gravitationally bound objects to have arisen thus far in the process of cosmic structure formation. They form the densest part of the large scale structure of the universe...
of galaxies
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
that includes Earth's galaxy, 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...
. The group comprises more than 30 galaxies (including dwarf galaxies), with its gravitational center located somewhere between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, and is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to the...
. The galaxies of the Local Group cover a 10 million light-year
Light-year
A light-year, also light year or lightyear is a unit of length, equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres...
diameter (see 1 E+22 m for distance comparisons) and have a binary (dumbbell) shape. The group is estimated to have a total mass of (1.29 ± 0.14)Ms
Solar mass
The solar mass , , is a standard unit of mass in astronomy, used to indicate the masses of other stars and galaxies...
.
The group itself is part of the Virgo Supercluster
Virgo Supercluster
The Virgo Supercluster or Local Supercluster is the irregular supercluster that contains the Virgo Cluster in addition to the Local Group, which in turn contains the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies. At least 100 galaxy groups and clusters are located within its diameter of 33 megaparsecs...
(i.e. the Local Supercluster).
The two most massive members of the group are 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...
and the Andromeda Galaxy
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, and is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to the...
. These two Spiral galaxies
Spiral galaxy
A spiral galaxy is a certain kind of galaxy originally described by Edwin Hubble in his 1936 work The Realm of the Nebulae and, as such, forms part of the Hubble sequence. Spiral galaxies consist of a flat, rotating disk containing stars, gas and dust, and a central concentration of stars known as...
each have a system of satellite galaxies.
- The Milky Way's satellite systemMilky Way's satellite galaxiesThe Milky Way Galaxy has several smaller galaxies gravitationally bound to it, as part of the Milky Way subgroup. This subgroup is part of the local galaxy cluster, the Local Group.The Milky Way's satellite galaxies include the following:-Clickable map:...
consists of Sagittarius Dwarf GalaxySagittarius Dwarf Elliptical GalaxyThe Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy is an elliptical loop-shaped satellite galaxy of the Milky Way Galaxy. It consists of four globular clusters, the main cluster being discovered in 1994...
, Large Magellanic CloudLarge Magellanic CloudThe Large Magellanic Cloud is a nearby irregular galaxy, and is a satellite of the Milky Way. At a distance of slightly less than 50 kiloparsecs , the LMC is the third closest galaxy to the Milky Way, with the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal and Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy lying closer to the center...
, Small Magellanic CloudSmall Magellanic CloudThe Small Magellanic Cloud is a dwarf galaxy. It has a diameter of about 7,000 light-years and contains several hundred million stars. It has a total mass of approximately 7 billion times the mass of our Sun....
, Canis Major DwarfCanis Major Dwarf GalaxyThe Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy is located in the same part of the sky as the constellation Canis Major. The galaxy contains a relatively high percentage of red giant stars, and is thought to contain an estimated one billion stars in all....
, Ursa Minor DwarfUrsa Minor DwarfThe Ursa Minor Dwarf dwarf elliptical galaxy was discovered by A.G. Wilson of the Lowell Observatory in 1954. It is part of the Ursa Minor constellation, and a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way...
, Draco DwarfDraco DwarfThe Draco Dwarf is a spheroidal galaxy which was discovered by Albert George Wilson of Lowell Observatory in 1954 on photographic plates of the National Geographic Society's Palomar Observatory Sky Survey . It is part of the local group and a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way galaxy...
, Carina DwarfCarina DwarfThe 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...
, Sextans Dwarf, Sculptor Dwarf, Fornax DwarfFornax DwarfThe Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal is an elliptical dwarf galaxy in the constellation Fornax that was discovered in 1938 by Harlow Shapley. He discovered it while he was in South Africa on photographic plates taken by a 24 inch reflecting telescope at Boyden Observatory, shortly after he discovered...
, Leo ILeo I (dwarf galaxy)Leo I is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the constellation Leo. At about 820,000 light-years distant, it is a member of the Local Group of galaxies and is thought to be one of the most distant satellites of the Milky Way galaxy...
, Leo IILeo II (dwarf galaxy)Leo II is an dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 690,000 light-years away in the constellation Leo. As of October 2008 it is one of 24 known satellite galaxies of the Milky Way....
, and Ursa Major I Dwarf and Ursa Major II DwarfUrsa Major II DwarfUrsa Major II or Uma II is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy situated in the Ursa Major constellation and discovered in 2006 in the data obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located approximately 30 kpc from the Sun and moves towards the Sun with the velocity of about 116 km/s...
. - Andromeda's satellite systemAndromeda's satellite galaxiesThe Andromeda Galaxy has satellite galaxies just like the Milky Way Galaxy. Orbiting M31 are at least 14 dwarf galaxies: the brightest and largest is M32, which can be seen with a backyard telescope. The second brightest and closest one to M32 is M110...
comprises M32, M110Messier 110Messier 110 is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy that is a satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy. M110 contains some dust and hints of recent star formation, which is unusual for dwarf elliptical galaxies in general.-History:...
, NGC 147NGC 147NGC 147 is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.58 Mly away in the constellation Cassiopeia. NGC 147 is a member of the Local group of galaxies and a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . It forms a physical pair with the nearby galaxy NGC 185,another remote satellite of M31. It was...
, NGC 185NGC 185NGC 185 is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.08 million light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. It is a member of the Local group, and is a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . NGC 185 was discovered by William Herschel on November 30, 1787, and he cataloged it "H II.707"...
, And IAndromeda IAndromeda I is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.40 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. Andromeda I is part of the Local group of galaxies and a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . It is roughly 3.5 degrees south and slightly east of M31...
, And IIAndromeda IIAndromeda II is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.22 Mly away in the constellation Andromeda. It is part of the Local group of galaxies and is a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy but it's also situated closely to the Triangulum Galaxy , it is not quite clear if it is a satellite of the...
, And IIIAndromeda IIIAndromeda III is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.44 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. And III is part of the Local group of galaxies and is a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . And III was discovered by Sidney van den Bergh on photographic plates taken in 1970 and...
, And IVAndromeda IVAndromeda IV might be an irregular satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy; however it is more probably not a galaxy at all, but a loosely bound star cluster or some other background feature....
, And VAndromeda VAndromeda V is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.52 Mly away in the constellation Andromeda.-History:Andromeda V was discovered by Armandroff et al...
, Pegasus dSph (aka And VI)Pegasus Dwarf Spheroidal GalaxyThe Pegasus Dwarf Spheroidal is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.7 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus...
, Cassiopeia Dwarf (aka And VII)Cassiopeia DwarfThe Cassiopeia Dwarf is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.58 Mly away in the constellation Cassiopeia. The Cassiopeia Dwarf is part of the Local group of galaxies and a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy ....
, And VIIIAndromeda VIIIAndromeda VIII is a galaxy discovered in August 2003. It is a companion galaxy to the Andromeda Galaxy, M31, and evaded detection for so long due to its diffuse nature...
, And IXAndromeda IXAndromeda IX is a dwarf spheroidal satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy, it was discovered in 2004 by resolved stellar photometry from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey , by Zucker et al....
, and And X. - The Triangulum GalaxyTriangulum GalaxyThe Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 3 million light years from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598, and is sometimes informally referred to as the Pinwheel Galaxy, a nickname it shares with Messier 101...
, the third largest and only unbarred spiral galaxySpiral galaxyA spiral galaxy is a certain kind of galaxy originally described by Edwin Hubble in his 1936 work The Realm of the Nebulae and, as such, forms part of the Hubble sequence. Spiral galaxies consist of a flat, rotating disk containing stars, gas and dust, and a central concentration of stars known as...
in the Local Group, may or may not be a companion to the Andromeda galaxy but probably has Pisces DwarfPisces DwarfPisces Dwarf is an irregular dwarf galaxy that is part of the Local Group. The galaxy is also suspected of being a satellite galaxy of the Triangulum Galaxy . Because it is in the constellation Pisces, the galaxy is called the Pisces Dwarf. It displays a blueshift, as it is approaching the...
as a satellite. - The membership of NGC 3109NGC 3109NGC 3109 is a small spiral or irregular galaxy around 4.2 Mly away in the direction of the constellation of Hydra. It is the most prominent member of a Local Group subgroup. NGC 3109 is believed to be tidally interacting with the dwarf elliptical galaxy, Antlia Dwarf...
, and its companions Sextans ASextans ASextans A , is a tiny dwarf irregular galaxy. It spans about 5000 light-years across, and is located within the Local Group of galaxies, which includes our Milky Way galaxy. At 4.3 million light-years away from Earth, Sextans A is one of most distant members of the Local Group, and is notable for...
and the Antlia DwarfAntlia DwarfThe Antlia Dwarf is a dwarf spheroidal/irregular galaxy. It lies about 1.3 Mpc from Earth in the constellation Antlia. It is the fourth and faintest member of the nearby Antlia Group of galaxies. The galaxy contains stars of all ages, contains significant amounts of gas, and has experienced...
, is uncertain due to their extreme distance from the center of the Local Group.
The other members of the group are gravitationally secluded from these large subgroups: IC10
IC 10
IC 10 is an irregular galaxy in the constellation Cassiopeia. It was discovered by Lewis Swift in 1887. Nicholas U. Mayall was the first to suggest that the object is extragalactic in 1935. Edwin Hubble suspected it might belong to the Local Group of galaxies, but its status remained uncertain for...
, IC1613
IC 1613
IC 1613 is an irregular dwarf galaxy in the constellation Cetus near the star 26 Ceti. It was discovered in 1906 by Max Wolf, and is approaching Earth at 234 km/s....
, Phoenix Dwarf
Phoenix Dwarf
The Phoenix Dwarf is a dwarf galaxy and an irregular galaxy that was discovered in 1976 by Hans-Emil Schuster and Richard Martin West and mistaken for a globular cluster. It is currently 1.44 Mly away from Earth...
, Leo A
Leo A
Leo A is an irregular galaxy that is part of the Local Group. It lies 2.25 million light-years from Earth. This galaxy was discovered by Fritz Zwicky in 1942. The estimated mass of this galaxy is solar masses, with at least 80% consisting of an unknown dark matter...
, Tucana Dwarf, Cetus Dwarf
Cetus Dwarf
Cetus Dwarf is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy. It lies approximately 2.46 Million light-years from Earth. It is an isolated galaxy of the Local Group, which also contains the Milky Way...
, Pegasus Dwarf Irregular, Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte
Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte
The Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte galaxy is an irregular galaxy discovered in 1909 by Max Wolf, and is located on the outer edges of the local group. The discovery of the nature of the galaxy was accredited to Knut Lundmark and Philibert Jacques Melotte in 1926. It is in the constellation Cetus.-Star...
, Aquarius Dwarf
Aquarius Dwarf
The Aquarius Dwarf galaxy is a dwarf galaxy and an irregular galaxy, that was first catalogued in 1959 by the DDO survey. Its most distinctive characteristic is that it is one of the few galaxies known to display a blueshift, as it is traveling towards the Milky Way at 137 km/s. Aquarius...
, and Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular.
History
The term "The Local Group" was introduced by Edwin HubbleEdwin Hubble
Edwin Powell Hubble was an American astronomer who profoundly changed the understanding of the universe by confirming the existence of galaxies other than the Milky Way - our own galaxy...
in Chapter VI of his book The Realm of the Nebulae (Hubble 1936, pp. 124–151). There he describes it as "a typical small group of nebulae which is isolated in the general field." In that book he delineated by decreasing luminosity its members to be M31
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, and is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to the...
, 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...
, M33
Triangulum Galaxy
The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 3 million light years from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598, and is sometimes informally referred to as the Pinwheel Galaxy, a nickname it shares with Messier 101...
, the Large Magellanic Cloud
Large Magellanic Cloud
The Large Magellanic Cloud is a nearby irregular galaxy, and is a satellite of the Milky Way. At a distance of slightly less than 50 kiloparsecs , the LMC is the third closest galaxy to the Milky Way, with the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal and Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy lying closer to the center...
, the Small Magellanic Cloud
Small Magellanic Cloud
The Small Magellanic Cloud is a dwarf galaxy. It has a diameter of about 7,000 light-years and contains several hundred million stars. It has a total mass of approximately 7 billion times the mass of our Sun....
, M32
Messier 32
Messier 32 is a dwarf elliptical galaxy about 2.65 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. M32 is a satellite galaxy of the famous Andromeda Galaxy and was discovered by Le Gentil in 1749. M32 measures only 6.5 ± 0.2 kly in diameter at the widest point...
, NGC 205, NGC 6822
NGC 6822
NGC 6822 is a barred irregular galaxy approximately 1.6 million light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. Part of the Local Group of galaxies, it was discovered by E. E. Barnard in 1881 , with a six-inch refractor telescope. It is one of the closer galaxies to the Milky Way...
, NGC 185
NGC 185
NGC 185 is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.08 million light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. It is a member of the Local group, and is a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . NGC 185 was discovered by William Herschel on November 30, 1787, and he cataloged it "H II.707"...
, IC 1613
IC 1613
IC 1613 is an irregular dwarf galaxy in the constellation Cetus near the star 26 Ceti. It was discovered in 1906 by Max Wolf, and is approaching Earth at 234 km/s....
and NGC 147
NGC 147
NGC 147 is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.58 Mly away in the constellation Cassiopeia. NGC 147 is a member of the Local group of galaxies and a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . It forms a physical pair with the nearby galaxy NGC 185,another remote satellite of M31. It was...
. He also identified IC 10
IC 10
IC 10 is an irregular galaxy in the constellation Cassiopeia. It was discovered by Lewis Swift in 1887. Nicholas U. Mayall was the first to suggest that the object is extragalactic in 1935. Edwin Hubble suspected it might belong to the Local Group of galaxies, but its status remained uncertain for...
as a possible Local Group member. By 2003, the number of known Local Group members has increased from his initial twelve to thirty-six, by way of the discovery of almost two dozen low-luminosity galaxies.
Map
Image:Local_Group.svg|frame|center|Local group (clickable map)
circle 167 27 20 Sextans B
Sextans B
Sextans B is an irregular galaxy that may be part of the Local Group, or lie just beyond it. Sextans B is 4.44 million light-years away from Earth and thus is one of most distant members of the Local Group, if it is indeed a member. It forms a pair with its neighbouring galaxy Sextans A...
circle 120 36 23 Sextans A
Sextans A
Sextans A , is a tiny dwarf irregular galaxy. It spans about 5000 light-years across, and is located within the Local Group of galaxies, which includes our Milky Way galaxy. At 4.3 million light-years away from Earth, Sextans A is one of most distant members of the Local Group, and is notable for...
circle 318 239 20 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...
circle 289 197 16 Leo I (dwarf galaxy)
Leo I (dwarf galaxy)
Leo I is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the constellation Leo. At about 820,000 light-years distant, it is a member of the Local Group of galaxies and is thought to be one of the most distant satellites of the Milky Way galaxy...
circle 334 201 15 Canes Dwarf
rect 303 185 318 215 Leo II (dwarf galaxy)
Leo II (dwarf galaxy)
Leo II is an dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 690,000 light-years away in the constellation Leo. As of October 2008 it is one of 24 known satellite galaxies of the Milky Way....
circle 357 289 28 NGC 6822
NGC 6822
NGC 6822 is a barred irregular galaxy approximately 1.6 million light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. Part of the Local Group of galaxies, it was discovered by E. E. Barnard in 1881 , with a six-inch refractor telescope. It is one of the closer galaxies to the Milky Way...
circle 288 323 24 Phoenix Dwarf
Phoenix Dwarf
The Phoenix Dwarf is a dwarf galaxy and an irregular galaxy that was discovered in 1976 by Hans-Emil Schuster and Richard Martin West and mistaken for a globular cluster. It is currently 1.44 Mly away from Earth...
circle 248 391 35 Tucana Dwarf
circle 363 416 20 Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte
Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte
The Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte galaxy is an irregular galaxy discovered in 1909 by Max Wolf, and is located on the outer edges of the local group. The discovery of the nature of the galaxy was accredited to Knut Lundmark and Philibert Jacques Melotte in 1926. It is in the constellation Cetus.-Star...
circle 363 383 17 Cetus Dwarf
Cetus Dwarf
Cetus Dwarf is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy. It lies approximately 2.46 Million light-years from Earth. It is an isolated galaxy of the Local Group, which also contains the Milky Way...
circle 369 346 11 IC 1613
IC 1613
IC 1613 is an irregular dwarf galaxy in the constellation Cetus near the star 26 Ceti. It was discovered in 1906 by Max Wolf, and is approaching Earth at 234 km/s....
rect 381 335 393 357 SagDIG
rect 393 335 406 356 Aquarius Dwarf
Aquarius Dwarf
The Aquarius Dwarf galaxy is a dwarf galaxy and an irregular galaxy, that was first catalogued in 1959 by the DDO survey. Its most distinctive characteristic is that it is one of the few galaxies known to display a blueshift, as it is traveling towards the Milky Way at 137 km/s. Aquarius...
circle 417 304 17 Triangulum Galaxy
Triangulum Galaxy
The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 3 million light years from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598, and is sometimes informally referred to as the Pinwheel Galaxy, a nickname it shares with Messier 101...
circle 417 254 15 NGC 185
NGC 185
NGC 185 is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.08 million light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. It is a member of the Local group, and is a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . NGC 185 was discovered by William Herschel on November 30, 1787, and he cataloged it "H II.707"...
rect 432 237 447 260 NGC 147
NGC 147
NGC 147 is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.58 Mly away in the constellation Cassiopeia. NGC 147 is a member of the Local group of galaxies and a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . It forms a physical pair with the nearby galaxy NGC 185,another remote satellite of M31. It was...
circle 461 229 17 IC 10
IC 10
IC 10 is an irregular galaxy in the constellation Cassiopeia. It was discovered by Lewis Swift in 1887. Nicholas U. Mayall was the first to suggest that the object is extragalactic in 1935. Edwin Hubble suspected it might belong to the Local Group of galaxies, but its status remained uncertain for...
poly 440 282 455 260 511 259 493 285 Andromeda Galaxy
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, and is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to the...
poly 450 264 434 265 431 280 442 280 M110
Messier 110
Messier 110 is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy that is a satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy. M110 contains some dust and hints of recent star formation, which is unusual for dwarf elliptical galaxies in general.-History:...
circle 295 110 20 Leo A
Leo A
Leo A is an irregular galaxy that is part of the Local Group. It lies 2.25 million light-years from Earth. This galaxy was discovered by Fritz Zwicky in 1942. The estimated mass of this galaxy is solar masses, with at least 80% consisting of an unknown dark matter...
circle 84 128 20 NGC 3109
NGC 3109
NGC 3109 is a small spiral or irregular galaxy around 4.2 Mly away in the direction of the constellation of Hydra. It is the most prominent member of a Local Group subgroup. NGC 3109 is believed to be tidally interacting with the dwarf elliptical galaxy, Antlia Dwarf...
circle 109 149 14 Antlia Dwarf
Antlia Dwarf
The Antlia Dwarf is a dwarf spheroidal/irregular galaxy. It lies about 1.3 Mpc from Earth in the constellation Antlia. It is the fourth and faintest member of the nearby Antlia Group of galaxies. The galaxy contains stars of all ages, contains significant amounts of gas, and has experienced...
circle 412 332 12 LGS 3
circle 460 361 21 Pegasus Dwarf
Pegasus Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy
The Pegasus Dwarf Spheroidal is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.7 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus...
circle 394 272 14 Andromeda II
Andromeda II
Andromeda II is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.22 Mly away in the constellation Andromeda. It is part of the Local group of galaxies and is a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy but it's also situated closely to the Triangulum Galaxy , it is not quite clear if it is a satellite of the...
rect 427 279 438 294 Andromeda III
Andromeda III
Andromeda III is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.44 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. And III is part of the Local group of galaxies and is a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . And III was discovered by Sidney van den Bergh on photographic plates taken in 1970 and...
rect 438 282 450 294 Andromeda I
Andromeda I
Andromeda I is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.40 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. Andromeda I is part of the Local group of galaxies and a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . It is roughly 3.5 degrees south and slightly east of M31...
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Galactic bodies
| Spiral galaxies Spiral galaxy A spiral galaxy is a certain kind of galaxy originally described by Edwin Hubble in his 1936 work The Realm of the Nebulae and, as such, forms part of the Hubble sequence. Spiral galaxies consist of a flat, rotating disk containing stars, gas and dust, and a central concentration of stars known as... |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| name | type | constellation | notes |
| Andromeda Galaxy Andromeda Galaxy The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, and is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to the... (M31, NGC 224) |
SA(s)b | Andromeda Andromeda (constellation) Andromeda is a constellation in the northern sky. It is named after Andromeda, the princess in the Greek legend of Perseus who was chained to a rock to be eaten by the sea monster Cetus... |
Largest member of the group, recently (2006) discovered to also be a barred spiral. May be less massive than the Milky Way. |
| 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... |
SBbc | n/a | Second largest, though possibly most massive galaxy in the group. |
| Triangulum Galaxy Triangulum Galaxy The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 3 million light years from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598, and is sometimes informally referred to as the Pinwheel Galaxy, a nickname it shares with Messier 101... (M33, NGC 598) |
SAc | Triangulum Triangulum Triangulum is a small constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for triangle, and it should not be confused with Triangulum Australe in the southern sky. Its name derives from its three brightest stars, of third and fourth magnitude, which form a nearly isosceles long and narrow triangle... |
Third largest, only ordinary spiral galaxy and possible satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy. |
| Elliptical galaxies Elliptical galaxy An elliptical galaxy is a galaxy having an approximately ellipsoidal shape and a smooth, nearly featureless brightness profile. They range in shape from nearly spherical to highly flat and in size from hundreds of millions to over one trillion stars... |
|||
| name | type | constellation | notes |
| M110 (NGC 205) | E6p | Andromeda | satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy |
| M32 (NGC 221) | E2 | Andromeda | satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy |
| Irregular galaxies Irregular galaxy An irregular galaxy is a galaxy that does not have a distinct regular shape, like a spiral or an elliptical galaxy. The shape of an irregular galaxy is uncommon – they do not fall into any of the regular classes of the Hubble sequence, and they are often chaotic in appearance, with neither a... |
|||
| name | type | constellation | notes |
| Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte The Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte galaxy is an irregular galaxy discovered in 1909 by Max Wolf, and is located on the outer edges of the local group. The discovery of the nature of the galaxy was accredited to Knut Lundmark and Philibert Jacques Melotte in 1926. It is in the constellation Cetus.-Star... (WLM, DDO 221) |
Ir+ | Cetus Cetus Cetus is a constellation. Its name refers to Cetus, a sea monster in Greek mythology, although it is often called 'the whale' today. Cetus is located in the region of the sky that contains other water-related constellations such as Aquarius, Pisces, and Eridanus.-Ecliptic:Although Cetus is not... |
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| IC 10 IC 10 IC 10 is an irregular galaxy in the constellation Cassiopeia. It was discovered by Lewis Swift in 1887. Nicholas U. Mayall was the first to suggest that the object is extragalactic in 1935. Edwin Hubble suspected it might belong to the Local Group of galaxies, but its status remained uncertain for... |
KBm or Ir+ | Cassiopeia Cassiopeia (constellation) Cassiopeia is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the vain queen Cassiopeia in Greek mythology, who boasted about her unrivalled beauty. Cassiopea was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century Greek astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today... |
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| Small Magellanic Cloud Small Magellanic Cloud The Small Magellanic Cloud is a dwarf galaxy. It has a diameter of about 7,000 light-years and contains several hundred million stars. It has a total mass of approximately 7 billion times the mass of our Sun.... (SMC, NGC 292) |
SB(s)m pec | Tucana Tucana Tucana is a constellation in the southern sky, created in the late sixteenth century. Its name is Latin for the toucan, a South American bird.-History:... |
satellite of Milky Way |
| Canis Major Dwarf | Irr | Canis Major Canis Major Canis Major is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was included in the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy's 48 constellations. Its name is Latin for 'greater dog', and is commonly represented as one of the dogs following Orion the hunter... |
satellite of Milky Way |
| Pisces Dwarf Pisces Dwarf Pisces Dwarf is an irregular dwarf galaxy that is part of the Local Group. The galaxy is also suspected of being a satellite galaxy of the Triangulum Galaxy . Because it is in the constellation Pisces, the galaxy is called the Pisces Dwarf. It displays a blueshift, as it is approaching the... (LGS3) |
Irr | Pisces Pisces (constellation) Pisces is a constellation of the zodiac. Its name is the Latin plural for fish, and its symbol is . It lies between Aquarius to the west and Aries to the east... |
satellite of the Triangulum Galaxy? |
| IC 1613 IC 1613 IC 1613 is an irregular dwarf galaxy in the constellation Cetus near the star 26 Ceti. It was discovered in 1906 by Max Wolf, and is approaching Earth at 234 km/s.... (UGC 668) |
IAB(s)m V | Cetus | |
| Phoenix Dwarf Phoenix Dwarf The Phoenix Dwarf is a dwarf galaxy and an irregular galaxy that was discovered in 1976 by Hans-Emil Schuster and Richard Martin West and mistaken for a globular cluster. It is currently 1.44 Mly away from Earth... |
Irr | Phoenix Phoenix (constellation) Phoenix is a minor constellation in the southern sky. It is named after the Phoenix, a mythical bird. It is faint: there are only two stars in the whole constellation which are brighter than magnitude 5.0... |
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| Large Magellanic Cloud Large Magellanic Cloud The Large Magellanic Cloud is a nearby irregular galaxy, and is a satellite of the Milky Way. At a distance of slightly less than 50 kiloparsecs , the LMC is the third closest galaxy to the Milky Way, with the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal and Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy lying closer to the center... (LMC) |
Irr/SB(s)m | Dorado Dorado Dorado is a constellation in the southern sky. It was created in the late 16th century and is now one of the 88 modern constellations. Its name refers to the dolphinfish , which is known as dorado in Spanish, although it has also been depicted as a swordfish... |
Fourth largest member of the group, satellite of Milky Way |
| Leo A Leo A Leo A is an irregular galaxy that is part of the Local Group. It lies 2.25 million light-years from Earth. This galaxy was discovered by Fritz Zwicky in 1942. The estimated mass of this galaxy is solar masses, with at least 80% consisting of an unknown dark matter... (Leo III) |
IBm V | Leo Leo (constellation) Leo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for lion. Its symbol is . Leo lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east.-Stars:... |
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| Sextans B Sextans B Sextans B is an irregular galaxy that may be part of the Local Group, or lie just beyond it. Sextans B is 4.44 million light-years away from Earth and thus is one of most distant members of the Local Group, if it is indeed a member. It forms a pair with its neighbouring galaxy Sextans A... (UGC 5373) |
Ir+IV-V | Sextans Sextans Sextans is a minor equatorial constellation which was introduced in 1687 by Johannes Hevelius. Its name is Latin for the astronomical sextant, an instrument that Hevelius made frequent use of in his observations.-Notable features:... |
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| NGC 3109 NGC 3109 NGC 3109 is a small spiral or irregular galaxy around 4.2 Mly away in the direction of the constellation of Hydra. It is the most prominent member of a Local Group subgroup. NGC 3109 is believed to be tidally interacting with the dwarf elliptical galaxy, Antlia Dwarf... |
Ir+IV-V | Hydra Hydra (constellation) Hydra is the largest of the 88 modern constellations, measuring 1303 square degrees. It has a long history, having been included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy. It is commonly represented as a water snake... |
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| Sextans A Sextans A Sextans A , is a tiny dwarf irregular galaxy. It spans about 5000 light-years across, and is located within the Local Group of galaxies, which includes our Milky Way galaxy. At 4.3 million light-years away from Earth, Sextans A is one of most distant members of the Local Group, and is notable for... (UGCA 205) |
Ir+V | Sextans | |
| Dwarf elliptical galaxies Dwarf elliptical galaxy Dwarf elliptical galaxies, or dEs, are elliptical galaxies that are much smaller than others. They are classified as dE, and are quite common in galaxy groups and clusters, and are usually companions to other galaxies.- Examples :... |
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| name | type | constellation | notes |
| NGC 147 NGC 147 NGC 147 is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.58 Mly away in the constellation Cassiopeia. NGC 147 is a member of the Local group of galaxies and a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . It forms a physical pair with the nearby galaxy NGC 185,another remote satellite of M31. It was... (DDO 3) |
dE5 pec | Cassiopeia | satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy |
| SagDIG Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular Galaxy The Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular Galaxy or SagDIG is a dwarf galaxy in the constellation of Sagittarius. It lies about 3.4 million light-years away. SagDIG should not be confused with the Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy or SagDEG, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. It was discovered by... (Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular Galaxy) |
IB(s)m V | Sagittarius Sagittarius (constellation) Sagittarius is a constellation of the zodiac, the one containing the galactic center. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is , a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow... |
Most remote from barycenter Barycentric coordinates (astronomy) In astronomy, barycentric coordinates are non-rotating coordinates with origin at the center of mass of two or more bodies.The barycenter is the point between two objects where they balance each other. For example, it is the center of mass where two or more celestial bodies orbit each other... member thought to be in the Local Group. |
| NGC 6822 NGC 6822 NGC 6822 is a barred irregular galaxy approximately 1.6 million light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. Part of the Local Group of galaxies, it was discovered by E. E. Barnard in 1881 , with a six-inch refractor telescope. It is one of the closer galaxies to the Milky Way... (Barnard's Galaxy) |
IB(s)m IV-V | Sagittarius | |
| Pegasus Dwarf Pegasus Dwarf Irregular Galaxy The Pegasus Dwarf Irregular Galaxy is an irregular galaxy and a dwarf galaxy in the direction of the constellation Pegasus. It was discovered by A.G. Wilson in the 1950s... (Pegasus Dwarf Irregular, DDO 216) |
Irr | Pegasus Pegasus (constellation) Pegasus is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations.-Stars:... |
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| Dwarf spheroidal galaxies Dwarf spheroidal galaxy Dwarf spheroidal galaxy is a term in astronomy applied to low luminosity galaxies that are companions to the Milky Way and to the similar systems that are companions to the Andromeda Galaxy M31... |
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| name | type | constellation | notes |
| Boötes Dwarf | dSph | Boötes Boötes Boötes is a constellation in the northern sky, located between 0° and +60° declination, and 13 and 16 hours of right ascension on the celestial sphere. The name comes from the Greek Βοώτης, Boōtēs, meaning herdsman or plowman... |
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| Cetus Dwarf Cetus Dwarf Cetus Dwarf is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy. It lies approximately 2.46 Million light-years from Earth. It is an isolated galaxy of the Local Group, which also contains the Milky Way... |
dSph/E4 | Cetus | |
| Canes Venatici I Dwarf and Canes Venatici II Dwarf Canes Venatici II (dwarf galaxy) Canes Venatici II or CVn II is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy situated in the Canes Venatici constellation and discovered in 2006 in the data obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located at the distance of about 150 kpc from the Sun and moves towards the Sun with the velocity of... |
dSph | Canes Venatici Canes Venatici Canes Venatici is one of the 88 official modern constellations. It is a small northern constellation that was created by Johannes Hevelius in the 17th century. Its name is Latin for "hunting dogs", and the constellation is often depicted in illustrations as representing the dogs of Boötes the... |
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| Andromeda III Andromeda III Andromeda III is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.44 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. And III is part of the Local group of galaxies and is a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . And III was discovered by Sidney van den Bergh on photographic plates taken in 1970 and... |
dE2 | Andromeda | satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy |
| NGC 185 NGC 185 NGC 185 is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.08 million light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. It is a member of the Local group, and is a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . NGC 185 was discovered by William Herschel on November 30, 1787, and he cataloged it "H II.707"... |
dE3 pec | Cassiopeia | satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy |
| Andromeda I Andromeda I Andromeda I is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.40 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. Andromeda I is part of the Local group of galaxies and a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy . It is roughly 3.5 degrees south and slightly east of M31... |
dE3 pec | Andromeda | satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy |
| Sculptor Dwarf Sculptor Dwarf Galaxy The Sculptor Dwarf Galaxy is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy that is a satellite of the Milky Way. The galaxy lies within the constellation Sculptor. It was discovered in 1937 by Harlow Shapley. The galaxy is located about 290,000 light-years away from the solar system... (E351-G30) |
dE3 | Sculptor Sculptor (constellation) Sculptor is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. It represents a sculptor. It was introduced by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century. He originally named it Apparatus Sculptoris , but the name was later shortened.-Notable features:No stars brighter than 3rd magnitude are... |
satellite of Milky Way |
| Andromeda V Andromeda V Andromeda V is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.52 Mly away in the constellation Andromeda.-History:Andromeda V was discovered by Armandroff et al... |
dSph | Andromeda | satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy |
| Andromeda II Andromeda II Andromeda II is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.22 Mly away in the constellation Andromeda. It is part of the Local group of galaxies and is a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy but it's also situated closely to the Triangulum Galaxy , it is not quite clear if it is a satellite of the... |
dE0 | Andromeda | satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy |
| Fornax Dwarf Fornax Dwarf The Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal is an elliptical dwarf galaxy in the constellation Fornax that was discovered in 1938 by Harlow Shapley. He discovered it while he was in South Africa on photographic plates taken by a 24 inch reflecting telescope at Boyden Observatory, shortly after he discovered... (E356-G04) |
dSph/E2 | Fornax Fornax Fornax is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for furnace. It was created in the 18th century and is now one of the 88 modern constellations.-History:Fornax was formed by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1756... |
satellite of Milky Way |
| Carina Dwarf Carina Dwarf 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... (E206-G220) |
dE3 | 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:... |
satellite of Milky Way |
| Antlia Dwarf Antlia Dwarf The Antlia Dwarf is a dwarf spheroidal/irregular galaxy. It lies about 1.3 Mpc from Earth in the constellation Antlia. It is the fourth and faintest member of the nearby Antlia Group of galaxies. The galaxy contains stars of all ages, contains significant amounts of gas, and has experienced... |
dE3 | Antlia Antlia Antlia is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name means "pump" and it specifically represents an air pump. The stars comprising Antlia are faint, and the constellation was not created until the 18th century... |
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| Leo I Leo I (dwarf galaxy) Leo I is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the constellation Leo. At about 820,000 light-years distant, it is a member of the Local Group of galaxies and is thought to be one of the most distant satellites of the Milky Way galaxy... (DDO 74) |
dE3 | Leo | satellite of Milky Way |
| Sextans Dwarf | dE3 | Sextans | satellite of Milky Way |
| Leo II Leo II (dwarf galaxy) Leo II is an dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 690,000 light-years away in the constellation Leo. As of October 2008 it is one of 24 known satellite galaxies of the Milky Way.... (Leo B) |
dE0 pec | Leo | satellite of Milky Way |
| Ursa Minor Dwarf Ursa Minor Dwarf The Ursa Minor Dwarf dwarf elliptical galaxy was discovered by A.G. Wilson of the Lowell Observatory in 1954. It is part of the Ursa Minor constellation, and a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way... |
dE4 | Ursa Minor Ursa Minor Ursa Minor , also known as the Little Bear, is a constellation in the northern sky. Like the Great Bear, the tail of the Little Bear may also be seen as the handle of a ladle, whence the name Little Dipper... |
satellite of Milky Way |
| Draco Dwarf Draco Dwarf The Draco Dwarf is a spheroidal galaxy which was discovered by Albert George Wilson of Lowell Observatory in 1954 on photographic plates of the National Geographic Society's Palomar Observatory Sky Survey . It is part of the local group and a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way galaxy... (DDO 208) |
dE0 pec | Draco Draco (constellation) Draco is a constellation in the far northern sky. Its name is Latin for dragon. Draco is circumpolar for many observers in the northern hemisphere... |
satellite of Milky Way |
| SagDEG Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy The Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy is an elliptical loop-shaped satellite galaxy of the Milky Way Galaxy. It consists of four globular clusters, the main cluster being discovered in 1994... (Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy) |
dSph/E7 | Sagittarius | satellite of Milky Way |
| Tucana Dwarf | dE5 | Tucana | |
| Cassiopeia Dwarf Cassiopeia Dwarf The Cassiopeia Dwarf is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.58 Mly away in the constellation Cassiopeia. The Cassiopeia Dwarf is part of the Local group of galaxies and a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy .... (Andromeda VII) |
dSph | Cassiopeia | satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy |
| Pegasus Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy Pegasus Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy The Pegasus Dwarf Spheroidal is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 2.7 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus... (Andromeda VI) |
dSph | Pegasus | satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy |
| Ursa Major I Dwarf and Ursa Major II Dwarf Ursa Major II Dwarf Ursa Major II or Uma II is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy situated in the Ursa Major constellation and discovered in 2006 in the data obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located approximately 30 kpc from the Sun and moves towards the Sun with the velocity of about 116 km/s... |
dSph | Ursa Major Ursa Major Ursa Major , also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It can best be seen in April... |
satellite of Milky Way |
| Identification Unclear | |||
| name | type | constellation | notes |
| Virgo Stellar Stream Virgo Stellar Stream The Virgo Stellar Stream, also known as Virgo Overdensity, is the proposed name for a stellar stream in the constellation of Virgo which was discovered in 2005. The stream is thought to be the remains of a dwarf spheroidal galaxy that is in the process of merging with the Milky Way... |
dSph (remnant)? | Virgo Virgo (constellation) Virgo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for virgin, and its symbol is . Lying between Leo to the west and Libra to the east, it is the second largest constellation in the sky... |
In the process of merging with the Milky Way |
| Willman 1 Willman 1 Willman 1 is an ultra low-luminosity dwarf galaxy or a star cluster. It is named after Beth Willman of Haverford College, the lead author of a study based on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data. The object is a satellite of the Milky Way; ~120,000 light-years away. Willman 1 has an elliptical shape... |
dwarf Spherical galaxy or Globular cluster? |
Ursa Major | 147,000 light-years away |
| Andromeda IV Andromeda IV Andromeda IV might be an irregular satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy; however it is more probably not a galaxy at all, but a loosely bound star cluster or some other background feature.... |
Irr? | Andromeda | probably not a galaxy |
| UGCA 86 (0355+66) | Irr, dE or S0 | Camelopardalis Camelopardalis Camelopardalis is a large but faint constellation in the northern sky. The constellation was introduced in 1612 by Petrus Plancius. Some older astronomy books give an alternative spelling of the name, Camelopardus.-Etymology:... |
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| UGCA 92 (EGB0427+63) | Irr or S0 | Camelopardalis | |
| Probable non-members | |||
| name | type | constellation | notes |
| GR 8 (DDO 155) | Im V | Virgo Virgo (constellation) Virgo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for virgin, and its symbol is . Lying between Leo to the west and Libra to the east, it is the second largest constellation in the sky... |
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| IC 5152 IC 5152 IC 5152 is an irregular galaxy 5.8 million light years from Earth in the Indus constellation. It was discovered by DeLisle Stewart in 1908. It is an open question as to whether it is an outlying member of the Local Group. It is one of the easiest galaxies to resolve into stars, but there is a... |
IAB(s)m IV | Indus Indus (constellation) Indus is a constellation in the southern sky. Created in the sixteenth century, it represents an Indian, a word that could refer at the time to any native of Asia or the Americas.-Notable features:... |
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| NGC 55 NGC 55 NGC 55 is a barred irregular galaxy located about 7 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor. Along with its neighbor NGC 300, it is one the closest galaxies to the Local Group, probably lying between us and the Sculptor Group.-Nearby galaxies and group information:NGC 55 and the... |
SB(s)m | Sculptor Sculptor (constellation) Sculptor is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. It represents a sculptor. It was introduced by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century. He originally named it Apparatus Sculptoris , but the name was later shortened.-Notable features:No stars brighter than 3rd magnitude are... |
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| Aquarius Dwarf Aquarius Dwarf The Aquarius Dwarf galaxy is a dwarf galaxy and an irregular galaxy, that was first catalogued in 1959 by the DDO survey. Its most distinctive characteristic is that it is one of the few galaxies known to display a blueshift, as it is traveling towards the Milky Way at 137 km/s. Aquarius... (DDO 210) |
Im V | Aquarius Aquarius (constellation) Aquarius is a constellation of the zodiac, situated between Capricornus and Pisces. Its name is Latin for "water-bearer" or "cup-bearer", and its symbol is , a representation of water.... |
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| NGC 404 NGC 404 NGC 404 is a small lenticular galaxy located about 10 million light years away in the constellation Andromeda. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1784, and is visible through small telescopes. NGC 404 lies just beyond the Local Group but does not appear gravitationally bound to it... |
E0 or SA(s)0- | Andromeda | |
| NGC 1569 NGC 1569 NGC 1569 is a dwarf irregular galaxy in Camelopardalis. While this faint galaxy is not a popular amateur astronomy target, it is well studied by professional astronomers, who are interested in the history of star formation within the galaxy. The galaxy is relatively nearby. Consequently, the... |
Irp+ III-IV | Camelopardalis | |
| NGC 1560 (IC 2062) | Sd | Camelopardalis | |
| Camelopardalis A | Irr | Camelopardalis | |
| Argo Dwarf | Irr | Carina | |
| ESO 347-8 (2318–42) | Irr | Grus Grus (constellation) Grus is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the crane, a species of bird. It was introduced in the late sixteenth century.-History:The stars that form Grus were originally considered part of Piscis Austrinus... |
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| UKS 2323-326 | Irr | Sculptor | |
| UGC 9128 (DDO 187) | Irp+ | Boötes | |
| Sextans C | |||
| objects in local group no longer recognised as galaxies | |||
| name | type | constellation | notes |
| Palomar 12 Palomar 12 Palomar 12 is a globular cluster in the constellation Capricornus that belongs to the halo of the Milky Way galaxy. First discovered on the Palomar Survey Sky plates by Robert G. Harrington and Fritz Zwicky,... (Capricornus Dwarf) |
Capricornus | a globular cluster Globular cluster A globular cluster is a spherical collection of stars that orbits a galactic core as a satellite. Globular clusters are very tightly bound by gravity, which gives them their spherical shapes and relatively high stellar densities toward their centers. The name of this category of star cluster is... formerly classified as a dwarf spheroidal galaxy |
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| Palomar 4 Palomar 4 Palomar 4 is a globular cluster of the Milky Way galaxy. It was discovered in 1949 by Edwin Hubble and again in 1955 by A. G. Wilson. It is 356,000 light years away.This star cluster is further away than the Magellanic Clouds and SagDEG satellite galaxies.... (originally designated Ursa Major Dwarf) |
Ursa Major | a globular cluster formerly classified as a dwarf spheroidal galaxy | |
Other notable objects
- Smith's CloudSmith's CloudSmith's Cloud is a high-velocity cloud of hydrogen gas located in the constellation Aquila at Galactic coordinates l = 39°, b = −13°. The cloud was discovered in 1963 by Gail Bieger, née Smith, who was an astronomy student at Leiden University in the Netherlands...
- High-velocity cloud, between 32,000 and 49,000 light years from Earth, and 8000 light years from the disk of the Milky Way Galaxy. - HVC 127-41-330HVC 127-41-330HVC 127-41-330 is a high-velocity cloud. The three numbers that compose its name indicate, respectively, the galactic longitude and latitude, and velocity towards Earth in km/s. It is 20,000 light years in diameter and is located 2.3 million light years from Earth, between M31 and M33...
- High-velocity cloud, 2.3 million light-years from Earth - Monoceros RingMonoceros RingThe Monoceros Ring is a ring of stars around the Milky Way which is proposed to consist of a stellar stream torn from the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy as it merges with the Milky Way over the course of billions of years...
- ring of stars around the Milky Way which is proposed to consist of a stellar streamStellar streamThis is a list of stellar streams. A stellar stream is an association of stars orbiting a galaxy that was once a globular cluster or dwarf galaxy that has now been torn apart and stretched out along its orbit by tidal forces...
torn from the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy
Diagram
See also
- Groups and clusters of galaxies
- List of nearest galaxies
- List of galaxy clusters
- Maffei Group--the group of galaxies nearest to the Local Group
- Local SuperclusterVirgo SuperclusterThe Virgo Supercluster or Local Supercluster is the irregular supercluster that contains the Virgo Cluster in addition to the Local Group, which in turn contains the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies. At least 100 galaxy groups and clusters are located within its diameter of 33 megaparsecs...
- Andromeda's satellite galaxiesAndromeda's satellite galaxiesThe Andromeda Galaxy has satellite galaxies just like the Milky Way Galaxy. Orbiting M31 are at least 14 dwarf galaxies: the brightest and largest is M32, which can be seen with a backyard telescope. The second brightest and closest one to M32 is M110...
- Milky Way's satellite galaxiesMilky Way's satellite galaxiesThe Milky Way Galaxy has several smaller galaxies gravitationally bound to it, as part of the Milky Way subgroup. This subgroup is part of the local galaxy cluster, the Local Group.The Milky Way's satellite galaxies include the following:-Clickable map:...
External links
- The Local Group of Galaxies, SEDS Messier pages
- A Survey of the Resolved Stellar Content of Nearby Galaxies Currently Forming Stars, Lowell Observatory