M32 is a compact elliptical galaxy orbiting Andromeda, small but unusually dense, with a supermassive black hole at its centre and a crowd of old stars.
At a glance
| type | galaxy |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 2.56 million light-years (785 kpc) |
| its light left it | 2.56 million years ago |
| size in the piece | about 4,600 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 M32
M32 is a satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy, seen in the sky just off the edge of Andromeda’s disc. It is small but extremely concentrated, its light packed into a bright core; it is the nearest example of the rare class called compact ellipticals. Guillaume Le Gentil first recorded it, and Charles Messier included it in his catalogue.
Measurements of the stars at its centre show a supermassive black hole far heavier than its small size would suggest. One explanation for its compactness is that M32 was once a larger galaxy whose outer stars were stripped away by Andromeda’s tides, leaving only the dense core.
What you see in the piece
In the piece it sits beside the Andromeda Galaxy at its measured position, a small, dense oval of old, warm-coloured stars.
Measured or modelled
Whether M32 is the stripped core of a larger galaxy or formed as a compact elliptical from the start is debated.
Questions
Is M32 a satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy?
Yes, M32 orbits the Andromeda Galaxy and is one of its brightest satellites. It is 2.56 million light-years (785 kpc) from the Sun.