Article
Article
Local Group
Article By:
Tully, R. Brent Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Last reviewed:October 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.388575
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- Local Group, published December 2019:Download PDF
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The small cluster of galaxies that contains the Milky Way Galaxy. The Local Group (see illustration) contains at least 80 galaxies, with two spiral galaxies, the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way Galaxy being the largest, dominant members in terms of mass, followed by a third, smaller spiral galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy. Most of the members of the Local Group are dwarf galaxies that are associated with either the Milky Way or Andromeda. The overall shape of the Local Group is that of a dumbbell, with the Milky Way and Andromeda and their respective dwarf galaxy collections each forming a lobe. A distance of about 2.5 million light-years separates the two lobes of the Local Group, centered on the Milky Way and Andromeda. See also: Andromeda Galaxy; Astronomy; Galaxy; Light-year; Milky Way Galaxy
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