Sculptor Dwarf Galaxy
Encyclopedia
The Sculptor Dwarf Galaxy (also called the Sculptor Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy or the Sculptor Dwarf Spheroidal 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-year
s away from the solar system
. The Sculptor Dwarf contains only 4 percent of the carbon and other heavy elements in our own galaxy, the Milky Way, making it similar to primitive galaxies seen at the edge of the universe.
of Sculptor dwarf appears to be broken up into two distinct groups, one with [Fe/H] = -2.3 and the other with [Fe/H] = -1.5. Similar to many of the other Local Group
galaxies, the older metal-poor segment appears more extended than the younger metal-rich segment.
Dwarf spheroidal galaxy
Dwarf spheroidal galaxy is a term in astronomy applied to low luminosity galaxies that are companions to the Milky Way and to the similar systems that are companions to the Andromeda Galaxy M31...
that is a satellite of the 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...
. The galaxy lies within the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
Sculptor
Sculptor (constellation)
Sculptor is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. It represents a sculptor. It was introduced by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century. He originally named it Apparatus Sculptoris , but the name was later shortened.-Notable features:No stars brighter than 3rd magnitude are...
. It was discovered in 1937 by Harlow Shapley
Harlow Shapley
Harlow Shapley was an American astronomer.-Career:He was born on a farm in Nashville, Missouri, and dropped out of school with only the equivalent of a fifth-grade education...
. The galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
is located about 290,000 light-year
Light-year
A light-year, also light year or lightyear is a unit of length, equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres...
s away from the solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
. The Sculptor Dwarf contains only 4 percent of the carbon and other heavy elements in our own galaxy, the Milky Way, making it similar to primitive galaxies seen at the edge of the universe.
Metallacity
In 1999, Majewski et al. determined that the metallicityMetallicity
In astronomy and physical cosmology, the metallicity of an object is the proportion of its matter made up of chemical elements other than hydrogen and helium...
of Sculptor dwarf appears to be broken up into two distinct groups, one with [Fe/H] = -2.3 and the other with [Fe/H] = -1.5. Similar to many of the other 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...
galaxies, the older metal-poor segment appears more extended than the younger metal-rich segment.