The Leo I Dwarf Galaxy (or simply Leo I) is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the Local Group. At 250 kiloparsecs distant, it is thought to be the furthest of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies. It was discovered in 1950 by Harrington and Wilson on photographic plates of the National Geographic Society - Palomar Observatory Sky Survey, which were taken with the 48-inch Schmidt Camera at Palomar Observatory.
Despite its late date of discovery, Leo I is relatively easily seen using an amateur astronomer's telescope of good quality at a dark location.
Being in Leo, this galaxy lies close to the location in the sky for Regulus, so it is also called the Regulus Dwarf. Further alternate names include: DDO 74, UGC 5470, and Harrington-Wilson 1.
External links
Last updated: 05-27-2005 02:58:13
