Leo P

This article is about the galaxy Leo P. For the musician, see Leo Pellegrino.
Leo P
Leo P by Hubble Space Telescope
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationLeo
Right ascension10h 21m 45.123s[1]
Declination+18° 05′ 16.89″[1]
Distance5,284 kly (1,620 kpc)[2]
Apparent magnitude (V)16.89[3]
Absolute magnitude (V)−9.27[2]
Characteristics
TypeIrr
Size1132 pc[4] (3692.09 ly)
Apparent size (V)1.2′[2]
Other designations
Leo P,[1] AGC 208583
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Leo P is a small, star-forming irregular galaxy located in the constellation Leo, discovered through the blind HI Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) survey, as an ultra-compact high-velocity cloud (UCHVC) of hydrogen gas. Its confirmation as a dwarf galaxy in 2013 suggests that other such UCHVCs are possibly undiscovered dwarf galaxies themselves.[5] Leo P is noteworthy for harbouring one of the most metal-poor environments in the local universe. Its metallicity is just 3% that of the Sun's, meaning that its stars contain 30 times less heavy elements than the Sun.[2] This makes Leo P similar to the pristine environments of primordial galaxies.

Leo P is located on the very outskirts of the Local Group, nearly 5.3 million light years away, and may not be part of it, instead being part of the Antlia-Sextans Group, a small grouping of galaxies adjacent to the Local Group, sometimes considered bound to it.

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference simbad was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference mcquinn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference rhode was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference putman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Faerman, Yakov; Sternberg, Amiel; McKee, Christopher F. (2013-11-01). "Ultra-compact High Velocity Clouds as Minihalos and Dwarf Galaxies". The Astrophysical Journal. 777: 119. arXiv:1309.0815. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/777/2/119. ISSN 0004-637X.