| Leo II | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Observation data (J2000epoch) | |
| Constellation | Leo |
| Right ascension | 11h 13m 29.2s[1] |
| Declination | +22° 09′ 17″[1] |
| Redshift | 0.000264 (79 ± 1 km/s)[1] |
| Distance | 690 ± 70kly (210 ± 20kpc)[2][3] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 12.6[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | E0 pec[1] |
| Apparent size (V) | 12.0 x 11.0 arcmin[1] |
| Other designations | |
| PGC 34176,DDO 93 | |
Leo II (or Leo B) is adwarf spheroidal galaxy about 690,000light-years away in theconstellationLeo. It is one of 24 knownsatellite galaxies of theMilky Way.[4]Leo II is thought to have a core radius of 178 ± 13pc and a tidal radius of 632 ± 32 pc.[5]It was discovered in 1950 byRobert George Harrington andAlbert George Wilson, from theMount Wilson andPalomar Observatories in California.
In 2007 a team of 15 scientists observed Leo II through the 8.2 meterSubaru optical-infraredtelescope in Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Over 2 nights, 90 minutes of exposures were taken and 82,252stars were detected down to a visiblemagnitude of 26. They found that Leo II consists largely ofmetal-poor olderstars, a sign that it has survived the galactic cannibalism under which massive galaxies (e.g., theMilky Way) consume smaller galaxies to attain their extensive size.[6]
Observation atESO estimates Leo II's mass to be (2.7 ± 0.5)×107M⊙.[7]
Media related toLeo II (dwarf galaxy) at Wikimedia Commons | Thiselliptical galaxy article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
