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The Local Group is the group of galaxies that includes our galaxy, the Milky Way. The group comprises over 30 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 E22 m for distance comparisons). The group belongs to the Virgo Supercluster.

The two most massive members of the group are the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy. These two barred spirals each have a system of satellite galaxies. The Milky Way's satellite system consists of Sag DEG, Large Magellanic Cloud, Small Magellanic Cloud, Canis Major Dwarf, Ursa Minor Dwarf, Draco Dwarf, Carina Dwarf, Sextans Dwarf, Sculptor Dwarf, Fornax Dwarf, Leo I, Leo II, Tucana Dwarf, and Ursa Major Dwarf. Andromeda's system comprises M32, M110, NGC 147, NGC 185, And I, And II, And III, And IV, And V, Pegasus dSph, Cassiopeia Dwarf, And VIII, And IX, and And X. M33, the third largest, and only ordinary spiral galaxy in the Local Group, may or may not be a companion to the Andromeda galaxy but probably has Pisces Dwarf as a satellite. The other members of the group are gravitationally secluded from these large subgroups.

List of Local Group galaxies


Spiral galaxies
name type constellation notes
Milky Way SBbc n/a most massive member
Andromeda Galaxy (M31, NGC 224) SBb Andromeda largest member of the group, recently (as of 2006) discovered to also be a barred spiral
Triangulum Galaxy (M33, NGC 598) SAc Triangulum only ordinary spiral galaxy and possible satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy?
Elliptical galaxies
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
name type constellation notes
Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte (WLM, DDO 221) Ir+ Cetus
IC 10 KBm or Ir+ Cassiopeia
Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC, NGC 292) SB(s)m pec Tucana satellite of Milky Way
Canis Major Dwarf Irr Canis Major satellite of Milky Way
Pisces Dwarf (LGS3) Irr Pisces satellite of the Triangulum Galaxy?
IC 1613 (DDO 8) IAB(s)m V Cetus
Phoenix Dwarf Irr Phoenix
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) Irr/SB(s)m Dorado satellite of Milky Way
Leo A (Leo III) IBm V Leo
Sextans B (DDO 70) Ir+IV-V Sextans
NGC 3109 Ir+IV-V Hydra
Sextans A (DDO 75) Ir+V Sextans
Dwarf elliptical galaxies
name type constellation notes
NGC 147 (DDO 3) dE5 pec Cassiopeia satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy
GR 8 (DDO 155) Im V
SagDIG (Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular Galaxy) IB(s)m V Sagittarius
NGC 6822 (Barnard's Galaxy) IB(s)m IV-V Sagittarius
Aquarius Dwarf (DDO 210) Im V Aquarius
IC 5152 IAB(s)m IV Indus
Pegasus Dwarf (Pegasus Dwarf Irregular, DDO 216) Irr Pegasus
Dwarf spheroidal galaxies
name type constellation notes
Cetus Dwarf dSph/E4 Cetus
Andromeda III dE2 Andromeda satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy
NGC 185 dE3 pec Cassiopeia satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy
Andromeda I dE3 pec? Andromeda satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy
Sculptor Dwarf (E351-G30) dE3 Sculptor satellite of Milky Way
Andromeda V dSph Andromeda satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy
Andromeda II dE0 Andromeda satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy
Fornax Dwarf (E356-G04) dSph/E2 Fornax satellite of Milky Way
Carina Dwarf (E206-G220) dE3 Carina satellite of Milky Way
Antlia Dwarf dE3 Antlia
Leo I (DDO 74) dE3 Leo satellite of Milky Way
Sextans Dwarf dE3 Sextans satellite of Milky Way
Leo II (Leo B) dE0 pec Leo satellite of Milky Way
Ursa Minor Dwarf dE4 Ursa Minor satellite of Milky Way
Draco Dwarf (DDO 208) dE0 pec Draco satellite of Milky Way
SagDEG (Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy) dSph/E7 Sagittarius satellite of Milky Way
Tucana Dwarf dE5 Tucana satellite of Milky Way
Cassiopeia Dwarf (Andromeda VII) dSph Cassiopeia satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy
Pegasus Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy (And VI) dSph Pegasus satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy
Ursa Major Dwarf dSph Ursa Major satellite of Milky Way
Identification Unclear
name type constellation notes
Andromeda IV Irr? Andromeda probably not a galaxy
UGC-A 86 (0355+66) Irr, dE or S0 Camelopardalis
UGC-A 92 (EGB0427+63) Irr or S0 Camelopardalis
Probable non-members
name type constellation notes
NGC 404 E0 or SA(s)0- Andromeda
NGC 1569 Irp+ III-IV Camelopardalis
NGC 1560 (IC 2062) Sd Camelopardalis
Camelopardalis A Irr Camelopardalis
Argo Dwarf Irr Carina
2318-42 Irr Grus
UKS 2323-326 Irr Sculptor
UGC 9128 (DDO 187) Irp+ Boötes
Palomar 12 (Capricornus Dwarf) Capricornus a globular cluster formerly classified as a dwarf spheroidal galaxy
Palomar 4 (originally designated Ursa Major Dwarf) Ursa Major a globular cluster formerly classified as a dwarf spheroidal galaxy
Sextans C

See also


External links


Local Group

Grup Local | Den lokale galaksegruppe | Lokale Gruppe | Kohalik Galaktikarühm | Grupo Local | Loka Grupo | Groupe local | 국부은하군 | Lokalna Grupa | Gruppo Locale | הקבוצה המקומית | Lokális Galaxiscsoport | Lokale groep | 局部銀河群 | Grupa Lokalna Galaktyk | Местная группа | Miestna skupina galaxií | Paikallinen ryhmä | Lokala galaxhopen | 本星系群

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Local Group".

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