George edited subsectionAims__To_u.tex  about 8 years ago

Commit id: d45be19c9a346ee232960e003fdb19476a918e88

deletions | additions      

       

made with the UK Schmidt Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in NSW;  photos of this telescope are displayed in the lab.  Most Galaxies are attracted toward one another due to the force of gravity,   so most  galaxieslive  in groups. the Universe tend to be near other galaxies, existing  in clumps called groups or clusters, depending on their size.  Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, lives in a rather insignificant cluster we call the Local Group. This cluster  has two big galaxies, our own and the Andromeda Galaxy (M 31), in  orbit around each other. Each of these two big galaxies is a spiral  galaxy, with a radius of about 10 kpc (kilo-parsecs, one parsec = $3.1 3.26  light years $= 3.1  \times10^{16}$ m). We live about 8 kpc from the centre of our galaxy, so we are right out near the edge. In addition to the two biggies, there are two medium sized galaxies in our group, the Magellanic  clouds, and another 10 or so dwarf galaxies, all in orbit around each  other. The radius of our local group is about 1 Mpc (Mega-parsec).