satellite galaxy
noun
plural satellite galaxies
: a galaxy that is bound by the gravitational field of a larger galaxy and that is often too small to have a defined shape
Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way visible in the Southern Hemisphere, this exploding star was a mere 170,00 light years away.—
Lavinia Edmunds et al.
Lavinia Edmunds et al.Examples of satellite galaxy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Astronomers estimate a galaxy’s mass from the orbital motion of stars around its gravitational center or the orbits of satellite galaxies.
—Bydaniel Clery, science.org, 9 Aug. 2024
But with the inclusion of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way that is the fourth largest in the Local Group, those chances dropped back down to a coin flip.
—Bydaniel Clery, science.org, 9 Aug. 2024
Besides examining the overall structure and stellar population of the galaxy, Euclid can look around the object to search for much fainter satellite galaxies, dwarf companions common around big galaxies (our Milky Way has dozens of them, for example).
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 June 2024
The Atacama Desert's near-perfect visibility provides crystal-clear views of the most famous constellations of the Southern Hemisphere sky — including the Tarantula Nebula, the Fornax Cluster of galaxies, the Southern Cross, and even the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.
—Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2024
Alternately, stars that form in a satellite galaxy can be dragged into the main galaxy.
—Georgina Torbet, Ars Technica, 10 June 2024
The region is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), which is a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 25 Jan. 2024
It is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way galaxy that is almost 200,000 light-years away from Earth.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Jan. 2024
The bright fuzzy spot is the nucleus of the main Andromeda Galaxy, and the small fuzzy spot is a nearby satellite galaxy of Andromeda.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2024
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Bydaniel Clery, science.org, 9 Aug. 2024
But with the inclusion of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way that is the fourth largest in the Local Group, those chances dropped back down to a coin flip.
—Bydaniel Clery, science.org, 9 Aug. 2024
Besides examining the overall structure and stellar population of the galaxy, Euclid can look around the object to search for much fainter satellite galaxies, dwarf companions common around big galaxies (our Milky Way has dozens of them, for example).
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 June 2024
The Atacama Desert's near-perfect visibility provides crystal-clear views of the most famous constellations of the Southern Hemisphere sky — including the Tarantula Nebula, the Fornax Cluster of galaxies, the Southern Cross, and even the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.
—Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2024
Alternately, stars that form in a satellite galaxy can be dragged into the main galaxy.
—Georgina Torbet, Ars Technica, 10 June 2024
The region is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), which is a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 25 Jan. 2024
It is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way galaxy that is almost 200,000 light-years away from Earth.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Jan. 2024
The bright fuzzy spot is the nucleus of the main Andromeda Galaxy, and the small fuzzy spot is a nearby satellite galaxy of Andromeda.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near satellite galaxy
Cite this Entry
“Satellite galaxy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/satellite%20galaxy. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.
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