Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy M32
Credit: 1.1 Meter Hall Telescope, Lowell Observatory, Bill Keel (U. Alabama)
Being the largest galaxy around can sometimes make you popular. Pictured
is M31's companion galaxy
M32.
M31, the Andromeda galaxy, is the largest
galaxy in our
Local Group of galaxies
- even our tremendous
Milky Way Galaxy is smaller.
Little M32 is visible in most pictures of M31 - it is
the small circular spot north of M31's center. M32 is a
dwarf elliptical
galaxy.
Elliptical galaxies have little or no measurable
gas or
dust -
they are composed completely of
stars and typically appear more red than
spiral galaxies.
Elliptical galaxies do not have disks -
they generally have oblong shapes and therefore show elliptical profiles on
the sky.