| Canis Major Overdensity | |
|---|---|
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Canis Major |
| Right ascension | 07h 12m 35.0s[1] |
| Declination | −27° 40′ 00″[1] |
| Distance | 25,000 ly |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | Irr |
| Number of stars | 1 billion (1×109) |
| Apparent size (V) | 12 degrees × 12 degrees |
| Other designations | |
| CMa Dwarf,[1] PGC 5065047 | |
The Canis Major Overdensity (CMa Overdensity) or Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy (CMa Dwarf) is a disputed dwarf irregular galaxy in the Local Group, located in the same part of the sky as the constellation Canis Major.
The supposed small galaxy contains a relatively high percentage of red giants and is thought to contain an estimated one billion stars in all.
At the time of its announcement, the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy is classified as an irregular galaxy and is thought to be the closest neighboring galaxy to the Earth's location in the Milky Way, being located about 25,000 light-years (7.7 kiloparsecs) away from the Solar System[2] and 42,000 ly (13 kpc) from the Galactic Center. It has a roughly elliptical shape and is thought to contain as many stars as the Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy, the previous contender for closest galaxy to Earth, though later studies disputed this conclusion.