The Closest Galaxy: Canis Major Dwarf
Explanation:
What is the closest galaxy to the Milky Way?
The new answer to this old question is the
Canis Major dwarf galaxy.
For many years astronomers thought the
Large Magellan Cloud
(LMC) was closest, but its title was supplanted in 1994 by the
Sagittarius dwarf galaxy.
Recent measurements indicate that the
Canis Major dwarf is only
42,000
light years from the
Galactic center,
about three quarters of the distance to the
Sagittarius dwarf
and a quarter of the distance to the LMC.
The discovery was made in data from the
2MASS-sky survey, where
infrared light allows a better view through our optically opaque
Galactic plane.
The
labeled illustration above shows the location
of the newly discovered Canis Major dwarf and its associated
tidal stream of material in relation to our
Milky Way Galaxy.
The
Canis Major dwarf
and other
satellite galaxies are slowly being
gravitationally ripped apart as they travel around and through our Galaxy.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
