Sculptor Dwarf Galaxy

For the nearby irregular galaxy within the constellation Sculptor, see Sculptor Dwarf Irregular Galaxy.
Sculptor Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation Sculptor
Right ascension 01h 00m 09.3s[1]
Declination -33° 42′ 33″[1]
Redshift 110 ± 1 km/s[1]
Distance 290 ± 30 kly (90 ± 10 kpc)[2][3]
Type E[1]
Apparent dimensions (V) 39′.8 × 30′.9[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 10.1[1]
Other designations
Sculptor Dwarf Spheroidal,[1] PGC 3589,[1] MCG-06-03-015
See also: Galaxy, List of galaxies

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.[4][5] The galaxy is located about 290,000 light-years 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.[6]

Metallicity

In 1999, Majewski et al. determined that the metallicity 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.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for PGC 3589. http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/. Retrieved 2006-12-03. 
  2. ^ I. D. Karachentsev, V. E. Karachentseva, W. K. Hutchmeier, D. I. Makarov (2004). "A Catalog of Neighboring Galaxies" (abstract). Astronomical Journal 127 (4): 2031–2068. Bibcode 2004AJ....127.2031K. doi:10.1086/382905. 
  3. ^ Karachentsev, I. D.; Kashibadze, O. G. (2006). "Masses of the local group and of the M81 group estimated from distortions in the local velocity field". Astrophysics 49 (1): 3–18. Bibcode 2006Ap.....49....3K. doi:10.1007/s10511-006-0002-6. 
  4. ^ Shapley, H., (1938) Harvard Bull. 908.
  5. ^ Shapley H (1938). "Two Stellar Systems of a New Kind". Nature 142 (3598): 715–6. Bibcode 1938Natur.142..715S. doi:10.1038/142715b0. 
  6. ^ Astronomers Detect Dust Around a Primitive Star, Shedding New Light on Universe’s Origins Newswise, Retrieved on January 19, 2008.
  7. ^ van den Bergh, Sidney (April 2000). "Updated Information on the Local Group". The Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 112 (770): 529–536. arXiv:astro-ph/0001040. Bibcode 2000PASP..112..529V. doi:10.1086/316548 

External links

Location
Galactic core
Spiral arms
Satellite galaxies
Other

Coordinates: 01h 00m 09.3s, −33° 42′ 33″