M 32

M32 is the small yet bright companion of the Great Andromeda galaxy, M31, and as such a member of the Local Group of galaxies. It is an elliptical dwarf of only about 3 billion solar masses, and a linear diameter of some 8,000 light years, very small compared to its giant spiral-shaped neighbor. Nevertheless, its nucleus is of comparable properties as that of M31: About 100 million Solar masses, 5000 suns per cubic parsecs, are in rapid motion around a central supermassive object.

Near the center of this galaxy, the sky would be dominated by this object, and full with the members of this galaxy, while at the edges, only one hemisphere would be filled with them, the other showing only few outlying stars and the intergalactic space. Toward M31, this galaxy would give a fascinating view in the night sky of a virtual astronomer in the outskirts of M32.

M32 and the other bright companion of M31, M110, are the closest bright elliptical galaxies to us, therefore also the among best investigated. M32 itself was also the first elliptical galaxy ever discovered, by Le Gentil on October 29, 1749.

Right ascension	00 : 40.0 (hours : minutes)
Declination	+40 : 36 (degrees : minutes)
Distance	2300.0 (light-years*10^3)
Visual magnitude	8.7