Very detailed side view of "The Local Group" of Galaxies
A detailed lateral view of the Local Group of galaxies that contains the Milky Way, Andromeda, and other 120 minor galaxies. The main map is accompanied by technical sheets and expected future paths for major group members, a top view, and a neighboring groups scheme. Developed in July 2022 by Pablo Carlos Budassi. Last update: 5 Jul 2022.
It is unclear whether the Triangulum Galaxy (third-largest member) is a companion of Andromeda. The two galaxies are 750 kly apart, and experienced a close passage 2–4 billion years ago which triggered star formation across Andromeda's disk. The Pisces Dwarf Galaxy is equidistant from Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies, so it may be a satellite of either. The membership of NGC 3109, with its companions Sextans A and the Antlia Dwarf Galaxy, is uncertain due to extreme distances from the center of the Local Group. The other members of the group are likely gravitationally secluded from these large subgroups.
Detailed diagram showing objects between the Earth and the Moon including artificial satellites, relevant sized near-Earth passing asteroids (past and future), and the different distances the Moon can take from Earth.
☀️・・・・・🔴 ☀️☀️
Schematic view to scale of known objects between the Sun and our nearest star system: Alpha Centauri.
☄️ The objects depicted include the Kuiper belt, notable comets and asteroids, inner torus-shaped Hills/Oort Cloud, outer spherical Oort cloud, and known past and future near passing stars.
👀 Things to notice when looking at this graph: 🌟🌟The stars that passed and will pass through the Oort cloud in the last millennia. Notably the ultra-close approach to the Sun by Gliese 710 in 1,28 million years. (≈3% of the current Sun-Alpha Centauri distance!)
🔮🔮The (hypothetical) Oort clouds of the Sun and Alpha Centauri almost touch! However, they are too diffuse for there to be a significant chance at present for an object to collide with or even be deflected gravitationally from an object in the opposing cloud. The past near passing stars noted in this graphic probably set in motion long-period comets in all directions including maybe a couple towards the Sun.
🌏🚀Voyager 1 will be halfway Alpha Centauri in 40,000 years (if it were headed in that direction). Two light-years is a long way and it's fantastic that it will get there so soon being a probe made in the '70s.
▾ Zoom and explore the graphic! ▾
Detailed diagram showing objects between the Earth and the Moon including artificial satellites, relevant sized near-Earth passing asteroids (past and future), and the different distances the Moon can take from Earth.
