The Local Group

 

Messier 31 imaged using a Canon 400D DSLR with a EOS Telephoto lens at f=215mm mounted on a driven EQ6 Pro mount. 15x30sec lights at ISO 1600, 4xDarks and 1x Flat stacked using DeepSkyStacker and finishd with APS

The Andromeda Galaxy M31 with satellite galaxies M32 (centre left) and M110 (bottom right of centre) images taken with a Canon 600D DSLR on my 127mm Meade Apo-refractor. Images stacked using DeepSkyStacker and finished with APS.

 The local group of galaxies number at least 54 and is part of the Virgo super cluster. The three largest galaxies in the local group are M31, M33 and our galaxy the Milky Way.

The Triangulum Galaxy M33 imaged with a equatorial mounted and driven Canon 400D DSLR with telephoto lens at f=215mm. Images stacked using DeepSkyStacker and finished with APS

The Triangulum Galaxy M33 taken with a Canon 600D DSLR on my 127mm Meade Apo-refractor. Images stacked using DeepSkyStacker and finished with APS.

M33 is approximately 3 million light years distant from our solar system, a little further away than M31.  M33 is thought to be the only unbarred spiral galaxy in the local group.

The Milky Way photographed with a tripod mounted DSLR

 Because we live within the Milky Way spiral galaxy we cannot see its structure as we can M31 and M33. What we do see, when we look up into a dark sky, is a milky band of diffuse starlight which runs from horizon to horizon. This band is created by light from the millions of stars that reside within the thickness of the galactic disc (known as the galactic plane). The dark areas within the Milky Way are not without stars but rather denote places where light from them is obscured by intergalactic dust.

Diagram of the Local Group (Credit: Wikipedia)