LOCAL GROUP


Meaning of LOCAL GROUP in English

Concentration of about 40 galaxies to which the Milky Way Galaxy belongs.

Nearly half are dwarf elliptical galaxies , but the six largest are spiral or irregular galaxies. They are probably kept from separating by mutual gravitational attraction. The Milky Way system is near one end of the group; the great Andromeda Galaxy is near the other end, about two million light-years away.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.