Map of the Universe

Leo A

Dwarf galaxy · Irregular galaxy in the Local Group

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Leo A
Picture: en:NASA, en:STScI, en:WikiSky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

About Leo A

Leo A is about 2.60 million light-years from the Sun, so the light we see from it left about 2.60 million years ago.

The map lists it as a dwarf galaxy and shows it at the scale of the Milky Way and the Local Group, drawn on the plane of the Milky Way.

Key numbers

Distance2.60 million light-years (0.80 Mpc)
Distance methodLVDB (RR Lyrae, TRGB or other)
Supergalactic coordinatesSGL 69.9°, SGB -25.8°
Absolute magnitude (V)-12.1
Stellar mass1.2 × 10⁷ suns

Data: Local Volume Database v1.1.1 (Pace 2025).

Where it is

Its place in the universe, from the inside out: Local Group › Virgo Supercluster › Laniakea Supercluster › Observable universe.

Zoom out to see it in context: Local Group, a view about 10 million light-years across.

From Wikipedia

Leo A (also known as Leo III) is an irregular galaxy that is part of the Local Group. It lies 2.6 million light-years from Earth, and was discovered by Fritz Zwicky in 1942. The estimated mass of this galaxy is (8.0 ± 2.7) × 107 solar masses, with at least 80% consisting of dark matter.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Leo A, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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