The Local Group

The Local Group is a collection of over 80 galaxies, including our own Milky Way, all gravitationally bound together. These galaxies vary in size and type, with the Milky Way and Andromeda being the largest. They are spread out across about 10 million light-years and interact through gravity, sometimes colliding or merging over cosmic timescales. The Local Group provides a nearby environment to study galaxy formation and evolution, offering insights into the larger structure of the universe. Its members are interconnected, forming a small galaxy cluster within the vast universe.