Local Group

Local GroupSextans A, a member of the Local Group of galaxies. The bright stars in the foreground are from the Milky Way Galaxy.

Local Group, in astronomy, the group of more than 20 galaxies to which the Milky Way Galaxy belongs. About half are elliptical galaxies, with the remainder being of the spiral or irregular type. As in other clusters of galaxies, members are probably kept from separating by their mutual gravitational attraction. The Milky Way system is near one end of the volume of space occupied by the Local Group, and the great Andromeda galaxy (M31) is near the other end, about 2,000,000 light-years away.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.
Citation Information
Article Title: Local Group
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 21 February 2025
Access Date: February 22, 2025