Milky Way's satellite galaxies - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Milky Way Galaxy has several smaller galaxies gravitationally bound to it

Satellite galaxy

A satellite galaxy orbits a larger galaxy due to gravitational attraction. Although a galaxy is made of a large number of objects which are not connected to each other, it has a center of mass, which represents a weighted average of the positions of each component object...

, as part of the Milky Way subgroup. This subgroup is part of the local galaxy cluster, the Local Group

Local Group

The Local Group is the group of galaxies that includes Earth's galaxy, the Milky Way. The group comprises more than 30 galaxies , with its gravitational center located somewhere between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy...

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The Milky Way's satellite galaxies include the following:

Name (in distance)		Diameter (kpc Parsec The parsec is a unit of length used in astronomy. It is about 3.26 light-years, or just under 31 trillion kilometres .... )	Distance (kpc)	Type	Discovered
I	Canis Major Dwarf Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy is located in the same part of the sky as the constellation Canis Major. The galaxy contains a relatively high percentage of red giant stars, and is thought to contain an estimated one billion stars in all....	1.5	8	Irr	2003
II	Sagittarius Dwarf Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy The Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy is an elliptical loop-shaped satellite galaxy of the Milky Way Galaxy. It consists of four globular clusters, the main cluster being discovered in 1994...	2	20	E	1994
III	LMC Large Magellanic Cloud The Large Magellanic Cloud is a nearby irregular galaxy, and is a satellite of the Milky Way. At a distance of slightly less than 50 kiloparsecs , the LMC is the third closest galaxy to the Milky Way, with the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal and Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy lying closer to the center...	4	48.5	SBm	prehistoric
IV	SMC Small Magellanic Cloud The Small Magellanic Cloud is a dwarf galaxy. It has a diameter of about 7,000 light-years and contains several hundred million stars. It has a total mass of approximately 7 billion times the mass of our Sun....	2	61	Irr	prehistoric
V	Ursa Major II Dwarf Ursa Major II Dwarf Ursa Major II or Uma II is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy situated in the Ursa Major constellation and discovered in 2006 in the data obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located approximately 30 kpc from the Sun and moves towards the Sun with the velocity of about 116 km/s...	0.2	30	dG D	2006
VI	Ursa Minor Dwarf Ursa Minor Dwarf The Ursa Minor Dwarf dwarf elliptical galaxy was discovered by A.G. Wilson of the Lowell Observatory in 1954. It is part of the Ursa Minor constellation, and a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way...	0.4	60	dE4	1954
VII	Draco Dwarf Draco Dwarf The Draco Dwarf is a spheroidal galaxy which was discovered by Albert George Wilson of Lowell Observatory in 1954 on photographic plates of the National Geographic Society's Palomar Observatory Sky Survey . It is part of the local group and a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way galaxy...	0.7	80	dE0	1954
VIII	Sculptor Dwarf Galaxy Sculptor Dwarf Galaxy The Sculptor Dwarf Galaxy is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy that is a satellite of the Milky Way. The galaxy lies within the constellation Sculptor. It was discovered in 1937 by Harlow Shapley. The galaxy is located about 290,000 light-years away from the solar system...	0.8	90	dE3	1937
IX	Sextans Dwarf	0.5	90	dE3	1990
X	Carina Dwarf Carina Dwarf The Carina Dwarf Spheroidal is a dwarf galaxy in the Carina constellation. It was discovered in 1977 with the UK Schmidt Telescope by Cannon et al. The Carina Dwarf is receding from the Milky Way at 230 km/s and is a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way. The galaxy may also be referred to as...	0.5	100	dE3	1977
XI	Ursa Major I Dwarf	-	100	dG D	2005
XII	Fornax Dwarf Fornax Dwarf The Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal is an elliptical dwarf galaxy in the constellation Fornax that was discovered in 1938 by Harlow Shapley. He discovered it while he was in South Africa on photographic plates taken by a 24 inch reflecting telescope at Boyden Observatory, shortly after he discovered...	0.6	140	dE2	1938
XIII	Leo II Leo II (dwarf galaxy) Leo II is an dwarf spheroidal galaxy about 690,000 light-years away in the constellation Leo. As of October 2008 it is one of 24 known satellite galaxies of the Milky Way....	0.7	210	dE0	1950
XIV	Leo I Leo I (dwarf galaxy) Leo I is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the constellation Leo. At about 820,000 light-years distant, it is a member of the Local Group of galaxies and is thought to be one of the most distant satellites of the Milky Way galaxy...	0.5	250	dE3	1950
?	Leo IV Leo IV (dwarf galaxy) Leo IV is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy situated in the Leo constellation and discovered in 2006 in the data obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located at the distance of about 160 kpc from the Sun and moves away from the Sun with the velocity of about 130 km/s...	0.3	160	dSph	2006
?	Leo V Leo V (dwarf galaxy) Leo V is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy situated in the Leo constellation and discovered in 2007 in the data obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located at the distance of about 180 kpc from the Sun and moves away from the Sun with the velocity of about 173 km/s...	0.08	180	dSph	2007
?	Leo T Leo T (dwarf galaxy) Leo T is a dwarf galaxy situated in the Leo constellation and discovered in 2006 in the data obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located at the distance of about 420 kpc from the Sun and moves away from the Sun with the velocity of about 35 km/s. The velocity with respect...	0.34	420	dSph/dIrr	2006
?	Boötes I	0.3	60	dSph	2006
?	Boötes II Boötes II (dwarf galaxy) Bootes II or Boo II is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy situated in the Bootes constellation and discovered in 2007 in the data obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located at the distance of about 42 kpc from the Sun and moves towards the Sun with the speed of 120 km/s...	0.1	42	dSph	2007
?	Boötes III Boötes III (dwarf galaxy) Bootes III is an overdensity in the Milky Way's halo, which may be a disrupted dwarf spheroidal galaxy. It is situated in the Bootes constellation and was discovered in 2009 in the data obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located at the distance of about 46 kpc from the Sun and...	1	46	?	2009
?	Coma Berenices Coma Berenices (dwarf galaxy) Coma Berenices or Com is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy situated in the Coma Berenices constellation and discovered in 2006 in the data obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located at the distance of about 44 kpc from the Sun and moves away from the Sun with the velocity of about...	0.14	42	dSph	2006
?	Segue 2 Segue 2 (dwarf galaxy) Segue 2 is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy situated in the Aries constellation and discovered in 2007 in the data obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located at the distance of about 35 kpc from the Sun and moves towards the Sun with the speed of 40 km/s...	0.07	35	dSph	2007
?	Canes Venatici I	2	220	dSph	2006
?	Canes Venatici II Canes Venatici II (dwarf galaxy) Canes Venatici II or CVn II is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy situated in the Canes Venatici constellation and discovered in 2006 in the data obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located at the distance of about 150 kpc from the Sun and moves towards the Sun with the velocity of...	0.3	155	dSph	2006
?	Hercules Hercules (dwarf galaxy) Hercules, or Her, is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy situated in the Hercules constellation and discovered in 2006 in data obtained by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located at a distance of about 140 kpc from the Sun and moves away from the Sun with a velocity of about 45 km/s. It...	0.7	135	dSph	2006
?	Pisces II Pisces II (dwarf galaxy) Pisces II is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy situated in the Pisces constellation and discovered in 2010 in the data obtained by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The galaxy is located at the distance of about 180 kpc from the Sun...	0.12	180	?	2010

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Image:Satellite_Galaxies.JPG|frame|center|Milky Way's satellite galaxies

Milky Way's satellite galaxies

The Milky Way Galaxy has several smaller galaxies gravitationally bound to it, as part of the Milky Way subgroup. This subgroup is part of the local galaxy cluster, the Local Group.The Milky Way's satellite galaxies include the following:-Clickable map:...

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rect 289 219 352 251 Milky Way

Milky Way

The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...

rect 319 252 380 281 Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy

Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy

The Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy is an elliptical loop-shaped satellite galaxy of the Milky Way Galaxy. It consists of four globular clusters, the main cluster being discovered in 1994...

rect 187 81 229 113 Sextans Dwarf
rect 168 273 249 318 Large Magellanic Cloud

Large Magellanic Cloud

The Large Magellanic Cloud is a nearby irregular galaxy, and is a satellite of the Milky Way. At a distance of slightly less than 50 kiloparsecs , the LMC is the third closest galaxy to the Milky Way, with the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal and Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy lying closer to the center...

rect 229 326 288 368 Small Magellanic Cloud

Small Magellanic Cloud

The Small Magellanic Cloud is a dwarf galaxy. It has a diameter of about 7,000 light-years and contains several hundred million stars. It has a total mass of approximately 7 billion times the mass of our Sun....

rect 297 376 352 407 Sculptor Dwarf
rect 183 446 234 476 Fornax Dwarf

Fornax Dwarf

The Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal is an elliptical dwarf galaxy in the constellation Fornax that was discovered in 1938 by Harlow Shapley. He discovered it while he was in South Africa on photographic plates taken by a 24 inch reflecting telescope at Boyden Observatory, shortly after he discovered...

rect 107 297 150 332 Carina Dwarf

Carina Dwarf

The Carina Dwarf Spheroidal is a dwarf galaxy in the Carina constellation. It was discovered in 1977 with the UK Schmidt Telescope by Cannon et al. The Carina Dwarf is receding from the Milky Way at 230 km/s and is a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way. The galaxy may also be referred to as...

rect 296 107 339 144 Bootes Dwarf
rect 336 180 408 196 Ursa Major II
rect 357 40 423 59 Ursa Major I
rect 370 110 428 142 Ursa Minor Dwarf

Ursa Minor Dwarf

The Ursa Minor Dwarf dwarf elliptical galaxy was discovered by A.G. Wilson of the Lowell Observatory in 1954. It is part of the Ursa Minor constellation, and a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way...

rect 430 119 470 154 Draco Dwarf

Draco Dwarf

The Draco Dwarf is a spheroidal galaxy which was discovered by Albert George Wilson of Lowell Observatory in 1954 on photographic plates of the National Geographic Society's Palomar Observatory Sky Survey . It is part of the local group and a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way galaxy...

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See also