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--- courses:ast403:the-local-group [2026/03/08 23:53] – [Phenomenology and Membership] shuvo
+++ courses:ast403:the-local-group [2026/03/09 09:58] (current) – [Satellite Systems and Interactions] shuvo
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 The remaining members are primarily **dwarf galaxies**, which are far more numerous but significantly fainter. These include the **Large and Small Magellanic Clouds** (LMC and SMC), which are irregular satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way at distances of ~50 kpc and ~60 kpc, respectively. Other members include various dwarf ellipticals (dE), such as M31's satellite **M32**, and numerous extremely diffuse dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies like **Fornax**, **Sculptor**, and **Leo I**.
-[{{ :courses:ast403:localgroup.jpg?600 | Fig1: Schematic view of the Local Group of galaxies. Milky Way is at the center.}}]
+[{{ :courses:ast403:localgroup.jpg?600 | Fig 1: Schematic view of the Local Group of galaxies. Milky Way is at the center.}}]
 ==== Dynamics and Mass Distribution ====
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 **Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal:** This is the closest galaxy to Earth (24 kpc) and is currently being incorporated into the Milky Way, with its stars and globular clusters being stripped away by tidal forces.
+[{{ :courses:ast403:milkyway_stream.jpg?600 | Fig 2: HI in the Magellanic Clouds and the Magellanic Stream.}}]
 ==== Future Evolution ====
 The Local Group is a dynamic system whose components are destined to merge. The Milky Way and Andromeda are predicted to undergo a direct collision and merger in approximately 3 to 4 billion years, likely forming a single, larger elliptical or giant S0 galaxy. Additionally, smaller satellites like the LMC are expected to merge with the Milky Way even sooner, likely within the next 3 gigayears, due to the effects of dynamical friction. Over time, the Local Group will likely become a "fossil group" dominated by one massive central galaxy.