Astronomy Picture of the Day

The Closest Galaxy: Canis Major Dwarf


Bild Note: 4.3 (3 Votes)

⏴ previousBild Upload von 18.02.2016 21:43next ⏵
zorg.ch
#104498 by @ 05.11.2007 00:00 - nach oben -
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.




Credit & Copyright
zorg.ch
#104603 by @ 13.11.2007 07:52, edited @ 13.11.2007 07:53 - nach oben -
wieso isch denn döt eis pünktli mit "sun" agschribe? sind nöd alles sunne susch chönnt mers nöd gseh? Kläret mich uf!
zorg.ch
#104619 by @ 13.11.2007 18:01 - nach oben -
momoll sinds natüorli, aber mit sonne oder sun meint mer amel üsi sunne, wobi ihren wohre name glaub "sol" isch. wenn mer alli lüchtibüchtis meint, seit mer scho ehner sterne oder stars.