Subaru Gallery

Small galaxies like Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are called dwarf galaxies. In this image, the KKR 25 dwarf galaxy is visible as an extended dim object behind the middle bright star in the Milky Way Galaxy. The straight lines observed on the bright stars are photographic artifacts. These lines appear when a star's intense light spills into adjacent CCD pixels.

KKR 25 is a unique, isolated dwarf galaxy and does not belong to any group of galaxies. In contrast, many dwarf galaxies exist as satellite galaxies, such as Large and Small Magellanic Clouds as satellite galaxies of the Milky Way. This image, taken by the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), shows every single star dissolved in the dwarf galaxy. Explore the high-resolution image and see the stars in another galaxy by enlarging it, located 6.2 million light-years away.

Discover this dwarf galaxy on the hscMap website, where you can freely explore the vast cosmic images captured by HSC. From the menu bar, select “Bookmarks” > “Recommended Objects” > Dwarf Galaxy KKR25.

Please click here ( 2.70 MB ) for KKR 25.
(Credit: NAOJ; Image provided by Masayuki Tanaka)

【Distance from Earth】6.2 million light-years
【Instrument】 Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC)