Messier 32 (M32)

Compact satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy, seen as a small bright ellipse beside its giant neighbour.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Its stars crowd ten times more tightly than in typical ellipticals of its size.
• A supermassive black hole of roughly 2.5 million solar masses fills much of its core.
• Its passing through Andromeda's disc may have stripped away most of its original stars.

Specifications & Metrics

• GALAXY TYPE: Dwarf elliptical (cE2)
• DISTANCE: 2.5 million light-years