Closest Galaxies
See also: List of nearest galaxiesRank | Galaxy | Distance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Milky Way Galaxy | 0 | This is our galaxy, we are part of it. |
2 | Omega Centauri | 0.0183 Mly | |
3 | Canis Major Dwarf | 0.025 Mly | |
4 | Virgo Stellar Stream | 0.030 Mly | |
5 | Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy | 0.081 Mly | |
6 | Large Magellanic Cloud | 0.163 Mly | |
|
Title | Galaxy | Date | Distance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nearest galaxy | Milky Way | always | 0 | This is our galaxy |
Nearest galaxy to our own | Canis Major Dwarf | 2003 | 0.025 Mly | |
Nearest dwarf galaxy | Canis Major Dwarf | 2003 | 0.025 Mly | |
Nearest large galaxy to our own | Andromeda Galaxy | always | 2.54 Mly | First identified as a separate galaxy in 1923 |
Nearest giant galaxy | Centaurus A | 12 Mly |
Galaxy | Date | Distance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Canis Major Dwarf | 2003 - | 0.025 Mly | |
Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy | 1994 − 2003 | 0.081 Mly | |
Large Magellanic Cloud | antiquity − 1994 | 0.163 Mly | This is the upper bound, as it is nearest galaxy observable with the naked-eye. |
Small Magellanic Cloud | 1913–1914 | This was the first intergalactic distance measured. In 1913, Ejnar Hertzsprung measures the distance to SMC using Cepheid variables. In 1914, he did it for LMC. | |
Andromeda Galaxy | 1923 | This was the first galaxy determined to be not part of the Milky Way. | |
|
- Omega Centauri does not appear on this list because is not currently considered a galaxy, per se, it is considered a former galaxy, and all that remains of one that was cannibalized by the Milky Way.
Read more about this topic: List Of Galaxies
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