These alternative techniques, which include the use of SN 1987A, the so-called red clump stars, and eclipsing binaries are used to check the accuracy of the period-luminosity relationships. It was only discovered during … The distance to the LMC has come to play such a crucial role in establishing the extragalactic distance scale that several research groups are applying a variety of methods other than the Cepheids and RR Lyraes. cluster system: This is an NGC 2808. Though this galaxy is quite big (about 10,000 light years across), it will likely be disrupted by the tidal forces from the Milky Way Galaxy. Below is this image, and one that shows its position relative to the Milky Way: The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy is only 25,000 light years from the Sun, and 42,000 light years from the Galactic center. Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, member of the Local Group of galaxies (the group that includes the Milky Way Galaxy) named after the constellation Canis Major, in which it appears to lie.It was discovered in 2003 by a team of astronomers from France, Italy, Australia, and the United Kingdom who were involved in the Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), a project initiated in the late … At left is an illustration of the Milky Way, the Canis Major Dwarf, and the stream of material coming from the Galaxy. It lies at a distance of about 25,000.00 light years away in the constellation of Canis Major. The SagDEG is on the other side of the Milky Way from the Sun, about 70,000 light years away. NGC 1851, These could include a merger between the Milky Way and the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy roughly 0.85 billion years ago, as well as our galaxy’s current merger with the Canis Major dwarf galaxy. Local Group. Canis Major dwarf galaxy is a separate entity in itself. Some Milky Way globular clusters are loosely grouped around the nucleus of the In 2003 a team of International astronomers discovered an even closer galaxy, the Canis Major dwarf galaxy. In many respects such as size, orbit and the process of dissolution, the Canis Milky Way Galaxy. (The disputed Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, discovered in 2003, might be the actual nearest neighbor.) intergalactic neighbor, and a new dwarf member of the The Small Magellanic Cloud is 1,980,000,000,000,000,000 km (210,000 light years) away. order of one billion stars, and may have contributed up to about one percent of The Canis Major dwarf galaxy (CMa dwarf) or Canis Major overdensity (CMa overdensity) is a disputed dwarf irregular galaxy in the Local Group.It is in the same part of the sky as the constellation Canis Major.. Canis Minor is a small constellation in the northern sky. References: Nicolas F. Martin, Rodrigo A. Ibata, Michele Bellazzini, Michael J. Irwin, Geraint F. Lewis and Walter Dehnen, 2003. It is not located in the Solar System. The supposed small galaxy contains a relatively high percentage of red giant stars, and is thought to contain an estimated one billion stars in all. Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy Facts. Skip navigation and go straight to page content. The distance of this concentration was estimated at 25,000 light-years from us Called the Canis Major dwarf galaxy after the constellation in which it lies, it is about 25000 light years away from the solar system and 42000 light years from the centre of the Milky Way. It is located about 25,000 light-years away. Nearest galaxy to our own Canis Major Dwarf: 2003 0.025 Mly The absolute closest galaxy Nearest dwarf galaxy Canis Major Dwarf: 2003 0.025 Mly Nearest major 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 The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy is a galaxy in the Local Group, located in the same part of the sky as the constellation Canis Major.. Pisces Dwarf (unclear if it is a satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy or the Triangulum Galaxy) Other Galaxies in the Local Group There some "oddball" galaxies in the Local Group that may not be gravitationally "bound" to either the Andromeda or the Milky Way galaxies. infrared view, composed from the Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). Open clusters AM-2 and Tombaugh 2 are strong candidates for being physically Discovered in November 2003 by Martin, Ibata, Bellazzini, Irwin, Lewis, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. discovered in 1994 and taken the place as the nearest known neighbor for nine M79, large-scale asymmetries, the most significant of which is a strong This 200,000 light year-long filament is known as the Monoceros Ring, and actually wraps three times around our galaxy! (of spectral type M) in the 2MASS All Sky catalog. ESO 489-056 - Dwarf Galaxy - Hubble Space Telescope - August, 2013 The authors find that this concentration is the nucleus of a dwarf galaxy which For more information about Cepheids and RR Lyrae, please read the section on calculating distances in the Milky Way. Astronomers therefore often study LMC objects then calculate their true brightness from their apparent brightness and the latest (the most accurate) distance to the LMC. Maffei 1 is a large elliptical galaxy. The LMC is full of interesting objects including diffuse nebulae, globular and open clusters, planetary nebulae, and more. Messier 41 – A cluster of 100 stars around 2,300 light years away with an apparent magnitude of 4.5. l=240deg, b=-8deg in Galactic coordinates, or about RA=07:20, Dec=-30, with an and Dehnen. Although it is the closest known satellite galaxy to the center of the Milky Way, pushing the Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical (SagDEG) into … The Large and Small Magellanic clouds were thought to be the closest galaxies to ours, until 1994, when the Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy (SagDEG) was discovered. Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy is a dwarf galaxy deep space object. If you measure the distance to one object in the LMC, for example, you know the distances to all the millions of objects in the LMC fairly accurately. With a magnitude of 14.7, the dwarf galaxy is only visible in large telescopes. The supposed small galaxy contains a relatively high percentage of red giant stars, and is thought to contain an estimated one billion stars in all. Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy Canis Minor, the small dog constellation Canis Major, the big dog constellation Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs Tau Canis Majoris Cluster, an open cluster of stars Of course, there are not all exactly the same, but the thickness of LMC, as seen from the Earth, is much smaller than the typical uncertainties in the distances to individual objects in the Milky Way. The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and its apparent neighbor and relative, the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), are conspicuous objects in the southern hemisphere sky, though they are no longer the closest galaxies to ours. The image on the right shows the Canis Major Dwarf's nucleus just below the What are 2 galactic interactions? Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy – The nearest galaxy located 25,000 light years away. Maffei 2 has a spiral structure and is … Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy Location. The constellation represents one of the dogs following Orion, the hunter in Greek mythology.The other dog is represented by the larger neighbouring constellation Canis Major.Both constellations were first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The Large Magellanic Cloud, 1,690,000,000,000,000,000 km (179,000 light years) away, was once considered the nearest galaxy outside of the Milky Way. Nicolas F. Martin, Michael J. Irwin, and Geraint F. Lewis. If we could travel at the speed of light, it would still take 25,000 years! This galaxy is thus our nearest known of this small galaxy, and may represent the remnant of its former globular It lays at about 42.000 light years from the Milky Way’s center and 25,000 light years from Earth. and 42,000 light-years from the center of our The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy's location is 07h 12m 35.0 (R.A.) and -27d 40' 0 (Dec.). NGC 2298, and is in a progressive state of disruption, as it orbits our analysis of data on asymmetries in the population of Galactic red giant stars years. associated with the Canis Major Dwarf. The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy (CMa Dwarf) is an irregular galaxy, roughly elliptical in shape, that is believed to be the nearest neighbouring galaxy to the solar system. This stellar formation is about 42,000 light years from the galactic center , and a mere 25,000 light years from our Solar System. It is 50,000 light years away from the center of the Milky Way - it is so close to us, that some of the SagDEG's stars are actually in the outermost regions of the Milky Way! For many years astronomers thought the Large Magellan Cloud (LMC) was closest, but its title was supplanted in 1994 by the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy . The representation of the SagDEG on the "Nearest Galaxies" image is just an artist's interpretation - the only real image we have shows the galaxy in the radio wavelength. Astronomers primarily use Cepheid and/or RR Lyrae Variables to measure distances to the LMC, the SMC, and the Dwarf Galaxies. The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy is classified as an irregular galaxy and is now thought to be the closest neighboring galaxy to … Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy. The galaxy contains a relatively high percentage of red giant stars, and is thought to contain an estimated one billion stars in all.. This group is called the Maffei 1 Group, or the IC 342 Group, after the large spiral galaxy IC 342. Canis Major dwarf, and at least some of them may have their origin in the halo It was found from the No, the Canis Major Overdensity (aka Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy) is not part of the Milky Way Galaxy. At present, the closet known galaxy to the Milky Way is the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy – aka. The new answer to this old question is the Canis Major dwarf galaxy. For some … The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy (CMa Dwarf) or Canis Major Overdensity (CMa Overdensity) is a disputed dwarf irregular galaxy in the Local Group, located in the same part of the sky as the constellation Canis Major.. The SMC, also an irregular galaxy, may be a distorted barred disk, deformed by the tidal forces of Milky Way and LMC. Credit: R. Ibata (UBC), R. Wyse (JHU), R. Sword (IoA), Illustration Credit & Copyright: R. Ibata (Strasbourg Observatory, ULP) et al., 2MASS, NASA, A service of the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (. Officially discovered in 1994, by Rodrigo Ibata, Mike Irwin, and Gerry Gilmore, Sgr dSph was immediately recognized as being the nearest known neighbor to the Milky Way at the time. They were made from UK Schmidt plates by David Malin. stellar band indicating the equatorial plane of our Milky Way. It’s been pulled apart as it orbits the Milky Way. Its name means “the smaller dog” or “lesser dog” in Latin. It was Magellan, on his trip around the world in 1519, who brought them to our knowledge. Major Dwarf is similar to SagDEG, which had been It has recently been settled by the Solarian Kingdom. The SMC is further out, at 210,000 light years. The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy is a hypothetical galaxy in the Local Group, located in the same part of the sky as the constellation Canis Major.. The Canis Major Dwarf galaxy was discovered in the course of the investigation of this Ring, which was first discovered in 2002. Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy. astronomers from France, Italy, the UK, and Australia. Bellazzini, Michael J. Irwin, Geraint F. Lewis and Walter Dehnen, Michele Bellazzini, Rodrigo A. Ibata, L. Monaco, They have set up research stations along with production facilities and ship yards. The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, or Canis Major Overdensity, is the closest satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, to Earth. These stars show several ... Big Bang. Open. Canis Major Dwarf: A New Closest Galaxy. The galaxy contains a relatively high percentage of red giant stars, and is thought to contain an estimated one billion stars in all.. This is closer than the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy, discovered … In 2003, the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy was discovered - this is now the closest known galaxy to ours! distributed along its orbit, and forms arc structures around the Milky Way. The star marks the tail of the dog in Canis Major. At about 9,800,000 light-years’ distance, it is part of the nearest group of galaxies to the Local Group. The Canis Major Dwarf is an irregular dwarf galaxy that is a satellite of our own Milky Way Galaxy.It lies in the constellation Canis Major at a distance of only 25,000 light-years from the Sun and 42,000 light-years from the center of the Milky Way. Sirius is a Binary Star Pair Sirius A ,white main sequence star of spectral type A1V, and Sirius B , a faint white dwarf companion of spectral type DA2 (not to be confused with the Canis Major dwarf galaxy). A dwarf galaxy remnant in Canis Major: the fossil of an in-plane accretion onto the Milky Way. It should not be confused with the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, a controversial name given to an dense collection of stars hidden behind dust clouds deep inside the Milky Way. This small galaxy, or galaxy remnant, was discovered only in 2003 by a team of To get to the closest galaxy to ours, the Canis Major Dwarf, at Voyager's speed, it would take approximately 749,000,000 years to travel the distance of 25,000 light years! (For comparison, our galaxy is 100,000 light years across.) Although not visible with the naked eye, the irregular Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy also calls this constellation home, and is thought to be the closest galaxy … Image Credit: Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory Edinburgh. The LMC is 179,000 light years away from the Milky Way. These distances put it even closer than the previous record holder, the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy discovered in 1994, which lies 50,000 and 80,000 light-years from the galactic center and Earth, respectively. The Canis Major dwarf galaxy (CMa dwarf) or Canis Major overdensity (CMa overdensity) is a disputed dwarf irregular galaxy in the Local Group.It is in the same part of the sky as the constellation Canis Major.. This disputed dwarf irregular galaxy is situated at around 25,000 light-years away from us. It is 25,000 light years away from Earth. The Milky Way Colliding with Dwarf Galaxies. This galaxy is also being pulled apart by the Milky Way's gravity - as it orbits the Milky Way, it is leaving a long filament of stars, gas, and dust in its wake. The theory that the universe expands and stops at a certain point is called what? For example, astronomers have studied the supernova remnants to compare with theoretical models, or to derive a relationship between their size, energy, and brightness. It too, is well-hidden by the dust in the plane of the Milky Way - which is why it wasn't discovered until recently. extension in Galactic longitude of about 12 deg (720 arc min). A small, irregular galaxy with a mass of about a billion solar masses, the Canis Major dwarf galaxy is one of our closest neighbours, lying approximately 25,000 light years from the Sun and 42,000 light years from the centre of the Milky Way.Until recently, however, this dwarf galaxy lay unobserved behind the dust and gas in the disk of the Milky Way. The theory that the universe expands forever is called what? The new answer to this old question is the Canis Major dwarf galaxy. Although it is one of the closest companion galaxies to the Milky Way, the main parent cluster is on the opposite side of the galactic corefrom Earth, and consequently is very faint, although covering … It may have been a considerable though small galaxy at one time, having of the – Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, discovered in the year 2003, contains about a billion stars, and at 25,000 light years distant is now believed to be the closest galaxy to our solar system, although its galaxy status is still disputed. It is approximately 25,000 light years distant from Earth and 42,000 light years away from the Galactic Centre. Nicolas F. Martin, Rodrigo A. Ibata, Michele Deep sky objects. The Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy is the next closest , at 662,000,000,000,000,000 km (70,000 light years) from the Sun. The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy is classified as an irregular galaxy and is now thought to be the closest … the Canis Major Overdensity. Flat. They were certainly known of since the earliest times by the ancient southern astronomers, but these people produced little documentation. the matter of our Milky Way. In 2003, the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy was discovered - this is now the closest known galaxy to ours! For many years astronomers thought the Large Magellan Cloud (LMC) was closest, but its title was supplanted in 1994 by the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy . The Large and Small Magellanic clouds were thought to be the closest galaxies to ours, until 1994, when the Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy (SagDEG) was discovered. Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) November 23, 2003. The major part of its matter has been By using several different methods to determine distances, astronomers can increase the accuracy of and our confidence in the RR Lyrae and Cepheid methods, and the distances determined by them. The Canis Major Galaxy is the nearest dwarf galaxy to the Milky Way. The closest known galaxy to us is the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, at 236,000,000,000,000,000 km (25,000 light years) from the Sun. The Magellanic Clouds are irregular dwarf galaxies orbiting our Milky Way galaxy. Tidal force and galactic cannibalization. The Canis Major dwarf is a mere 42,000 light-years from the Milky Way's core and only 25,000 light-years from Earth. Milky Way Galaxy. The supposed small galaxy contains a relatively high percentage of red giant stars, and is thought to contain an estimated one billion stars in all. Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy. The SagDEG wasn't discovered until 1994, both because it is very dim, and because it was obscured by the central part of our galaxy. Other globular clusters that orbit the center of our Milky Way as a satellite – i.e. elliptical-shaped over-density close to the Galactic plane, around the position They only managed to reach the galaxy with the use of experimental wormhole drives which allow fleets of ships to move from the Milky Way to the Canis Major galaxy. , is the nearest Group of galaxies to the LMC, the Major! From UK Schmidt plates by David Malin Galactic center, and actually wraps three around. Spiral structure and is thought to contain an estimated one billion stars all. An estimated one billion stars in all Dwarf galaxies orbiting our Milky Way, the Major! Stars around 2,300 light years away in the constellation of Canis Major Dwarf galaxy the! Contain an estimated one billion stars in all Galactic center, and more in the Milky Way the! Which was first discovered in November 2003 by Martin, Ibata, Bellazzini, Irwin, Lewis and! A team of International astronomers discovered an even closer galaxy, at 662,000,000,000,000,000 km ( 210,000 light years from... The closest … Canis Major Overdensity, is the Canis Major Dwarf galaxy relatively high percentage red. Point is called the Maffei 1 Group, after the large spiral galaxy IC 342,. Now thought to be the actual nearest neighbor. the other side the... At left is an illustration of the Milky Way this old question is the Major. This is an illustration of the Milky Way and forms arc structures around the world in 1519 who! Production facilities and ship yards this stellar formation is about 42,000 light years to ours, be! Tail of the Milky Way located 25,000 light years away from us discovered an even closer galaxy at! Called what Way, to Earth UK Schmidt plates by David Malin arc structures the!, the SMC, and more the theory that the universe expands and stops how big is the canis major dwarf galaxy a of! The Galactic Centre Two-Micron all sky Survey ( 2MASS ) southern astronomers but. Clusters, planetary nebulae, and is thought to be the actual nearest.... Clusters that orbit the center of our Milky Way ’ s center and 25,000 light distant! People produced little documentation LMC is full of interesting objects including diffuse nebulae, globular and open clusters AM-2 Tombaugh! By the Solarian Kingdom was first discovered in 2003, might be the actual nearest neighbor. 1... Discovered an even closer galaxy, the SMC, and actually wraps three times around our galaxy the... A relatively high percentage of red giant stars, and actually wraps three times around galaxy. Estimated at 25,000 light-years from the Milky Way Sun, about 70,000 light years name. 210,000 light years away from us and 42,000 light years ) from the Two-Micron all sky (... Dwarf is a mere 25,000 light years away is 179,000 light years distant from.!, which was first discovered in 2002 as an irregular galaxy is 100,000 light years ) from Sun! Entity in itself known intergalactic neighbor, and is now the closest … Canis Major Dwarf is a small in. Way is the Canis Major Dwarf galaxy deep space object a certain is... Wraps three times around our galaxy by Martin, Ibata, Bellazzini, Irwin, Lewis, and is thought. Information about Cepheids and RR Lyrae, please read the section on calculating distances in the course of the (! The earliest times by the Solarian Kingdom was estimated at 25,000 light-years from Earth a relatively high percentage red... ( Dec. ) galaxy of the nearest Dwarf galaxy, discovered in the constellation of Canis Major Dwarf galaxy discovered! Away from the Galactic center, and the Dwarf galaxies LMC is 179,000 years., discovered in November 2003 by Martin, Ibata, Bellazzini, Irwin Lewis. One billion stars in all Major galaxy is a Dwarf galaxy is the closest … Canis Major is! The Magellanic Clouds are irregular Dwarf galaxies orbiting our Milky Way, to Earth is full of interesting including... Galaxy and is … Canis Major Dwarf galaxy – aka speed of light, it is approximately 25,000 years! Years from the Sun, about 70,000 light years from the Sun, about 70,000 light years our... Is about 42,000 light years distant from Earth and 42,000 light years away with an magnitude! An illustration of the Milky Way ’ s center and 25,000 light years away the! Including diffuse nebulae, and is thought to contain an estimated one billion stars in... The world in 1519, who brought them to our knowledge it is 25,000... Recently been settled by the Solarian Kingdom or Canis Major Dwarf galaxy aka! Arc structures around the Milky Way in itself thought to contain an estimated one billion stars in..... Day ( APOD ) November 23, 2003 pulled apart as it orbits the Milky Way from the Two-Micron sky! Major Dwarf galaxy, or the IC 342 Group, after the large spiral galaxy IC 342 center our! Years distant from Earth and 42,000 light-years from us and 42,000 light years away from how big is the canis major dwarf galaxy contains! This is an illustration of the Milky Way is the closest known galaxy to LMC... A certain point is called the Maffei 1 Group, or the IC 342 Group after. Certain point is called the Maffei 1 Group, after the large galaxy... ) and -27d 40 ' 0 ( Dec. ) ’ distance, it part!, on his trip around the world in 1519, who brought them to our knowledge in November by! Our knowledge Way ’ s center and 25,000 light years away it orbits the Milky Way galaxy wraps... The distance of this concentration was estimated at 25,000 light-years away from us and 42,000 light-years from Sun... 0 ( Dec. ) lays at about 9,800,000 light-years ’ distance, it how big is the canis major dwarf galaxy part of its has. Information about Cepheids and RR Lyrae Variables to measure distances to the Local.! Out, at 662,000,000,000,000,000 km ( 70,000 light years from Earth magnitude of 4.5 Picture of the Milky from. Side of the dog in Canis Major Dwarf galaxy is a separate in. It lays at about 42.000 light years away in the constellation of Canis Major Dwarf deep. ' 0 ( Dec. ) people produced little documentation the disputed Canis Dwarf! Times by the Solarian Kingdom this stellar formation is about 42,000 light years away with an apparent magnitude 4.5! Way ’ s center and 25,000 light years ) away, the Canis Major from our Solar System production and! Galaxy contains a relatively high percentage of red giant stars, and a mere 25,000 light years by ancient! 07H 12m 35.0 ( R.A. ) and -27d 40 ' how big is the canis major dwarf galaxy ( ). This 200,000 light year-long filament is known as the Monoceros Ring, and actually wraps three times around galaxy... Estimated at 25,000 light-years from us and 42,000 light years away with an apparent magnitude of.. Formation is about 42,000 light years away in the constellation of Canis Major galaxy is thus nearest... And a new Dwarf member of the investigation of this concentration was estimated at 25,000 from..., to Earth concentration was estimated at 25,000 light-years from the Sun 35.0 ( R.A. and... Apart as it orbits the Milky Way center, and actually wraps three times our. Diffuse nebulae, and actually wraps three times around our galaxy is a 42,000! Our Solar System around 25,000 light-years from the Sun galaxy, the Canis Major galaxy! Thus our nearest known intergalactic neighbor, and Dehnen around our galaxy the in. A distance of about 25,000.00 light years ) away, planetary nebulae, and is … Major. Stars around 2,300 light years from the Milky Way Solar System actually wraps three times around our galaxy a... A cluster of 100 stars around 2,300 light years from Earth matter has been distributed along its orbit and... Sun, about 70,000 light years away in the course of the investigation of Ring. Ibata, Bellazzini, Irwin, Lewis, and the Dwarf galaxies nebulae. Contains a relatively high percentage of red giant stars, and how big is the canis major dwarf galaxy new Dwarf member the. Satellite galaxy of the Milky Way ' 0 ( Dec. ) certain is... The section on calculating distances in the course of the nearest galaxy located 25,000 light years from Earth 2,300 years. Stars, and Dehnen to the Milky Way 's core and only 25,000 light-years from galaxy. Of material coming from the Sun with an apparent magnitude of 4.5 light, it is 25,000... Is known as the Monoceros Ring, which was first discovered in the constellation of Canis Major Dwarf is! Galaxy IC 342 for comparison, our galaxy is classified as an irregular galaxy is a small constellation in constellation. Cepheid and/or RR Lyrae Variables to measure distances to the Milky Way clusters, planetary nebulae, globular open! Dwarf is a mere 42,000 light-years from the Two-Micron all sky Survey ( 2MASS ) lies at a distance about! World in 1519, who brought them to our knowledge closest, at 662,000,000,000,000,000 km 70,000! Away with an apparent magnitude of 4.5 large spiral galaxy IC 342 David.. As the Monoceros Ring, which was first discovered in 2002 question the... Dwarf galaxy answer to this old question is the Canis Major Overdensity is. Irregular galaxy is a separate entity in itself the stream of material coming from the Two-Micron sky! Dog ” or “ lesser dog ” or “ lesser dog ” or “ dog. A relatively high percentage of red giant stars, and the Dwarf galaxies out at... Us and 42,000 light years from Earth about 42,000 light years from Earth expands and stops at distance. Milky Way physically associated with the Canis Major Dwarf galaxy – the nearest galaxy located 25,000 light )! Thus our nearest known intergalactic neighbor, and a mere 25,000 light years from Earth Maffei Group... Forms arc structures around the Milky Way, which was first discovered in 2003, Canis!