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The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

Geraint F. Lewis ,
Rodrigo A. Ibata ,
Michael J. Irwin ,
Nicolas F. Martin ,
Michele Bellazzini  and
Blair Conn
Geraint F. Lewis*
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, School of Physics, A29, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia
Rodrigo A. Ibata
Affiliation:
Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11 Rue de l'Universite, 6700 Strasbourg, France
Michael J. Irwin
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HA, UK
Nicolas F. Martin
Affiliation:
Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11 Rue de l'Universite, 6700 Strasbourg, France
Michele Bellazzini
Affiliation:
INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Blair Conn
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, School of Physics, A29, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia
*
E Corresponding author. Email: gfl@physics.usyd.edu.au
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Abstract

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Recent observational evidence suggests that the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy represents the only major ongoing accretion event in the Galactic halo, accounting for the majority of stellar debris identified there. This paper summarises the recent discovery of another potential Milky Way accretion event, the Canis Major dwarf galaxy. This dwarf satellite galaxy is found to lie just below the Galactic plane and appears to be on an equatorial orbit. Unlike Sagittarius, which is contributing to the Galactic halo, the location and eventual demise of Canis Major suggests that it represents a building block of the thick disk.

Keywords

Galaxy: structureGalaxy: evolutiongalaxies: dwarf

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