M110 is a dwarf elliptical galaxy orbiting Andromeda, larger and more diffuse than M32, holding a little dust and a sprinkle of young blue stars at its centre.
At a glance
| type | galaxy |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 2.69 million light-years (824 kpc) |
| its light left it | 2.69 million years ago |
| size in the piece | about 17,000 light-years acrossmodel |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with. Model marks a property of the piece’s galaxy model rather than a measurement.
About M110
M110, also catalogued as NGC 205, is a satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy, lying on the opposite side of Andromeda’s disc from M32 in the sky. Charles Messier saw it, but it was never part of his published list; Caroline Herschel found it independently, and it was given the number M110 only long afterwards.
It is a dwarf elliptical, a smooth, elongated swarm mostly of old stars. Unusually for such a galaxy, it holds patches of dust and a small population of young blue stars near its centre, a sign of fairly recent star formation. Its outer parts are distorted, probably by the tidal pull of Andromeda.
What you see in the piece
In the piece it sits beside the Andromeda Galaxy at its measured position, a broad oval of old gold light with a few young blue stars near its centre.
Questions
Is M110 a Messier object?
Yes, though Messier never published it; it was added to his list later as M110, after he had seen it.
How far away is M110?
M110 is 2.69 million light-years (824 kpc) from the Sun, so its light left it 2.69 million years ago.