Antlia-Sextans Group
The Antlia-Sextans Group is a small grouping of galaxies in the constellations Hydra, Sextans, Antlia and Leo. It is generally considered to be at the very edge of the Local Group and thus part of it. However, other researchers indicate it is an independent group, and thus the nearest group to the Local Group. It is, on average, approximately 4.3 million light-years away from the Milky Way. Members The Antlia-Sextans Group consists of the galaxies NGC 3109, Sextans A, Sextans B, Antlia Dwarf, Leo P and Antlia B. Leo A might also belong to the group, but this is considered unlikely. NGC 3109 NGC 3109 is the largest and dominant member of this group, with a diameter of 41,700 light-years, almost half the diameter of the Milky Way. It was the first discovered member of the group, discovered in 1835. It is also second closest to Earth, at a distance of 4.348 million light-years away. It was thought to be an irregular galaxy, but is now theorized to possibly be a barred spiral. It seems to be a galaxy with no central core. Based on spectroscopy of blue supergiants in NGC 3109, it is known that the galaxy has a