Local Group of Galaxies

The Local Group of galaxies is the gravitationally bound collection of galaxies that includes our Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy, and more than 50 smaller dwarf galaxies. Spanning several million light years, it represents our immediate cosmic neighborhood within the larger structure of the universe. This region is shaped by the mutual gravitational attraction of its largest members, primarily the Milky Way and Andromeda, which dominate the group’s dynamics and will eventually collide in the distant future. Understanding the Local Group helps explain how galaxies cluster, evolve, and interact on a local cosmic scale, making it one of the most important structures in modern astronomy.