Andromeda_I
Andromeda I
Dwarf galaxy in the constellation Andromeda
Andromeda I is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph)[5] about 2.40[4] million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. Andromeda I is part of the local group of galaxies and a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). It is roughly 3.5 degrees south and slightly east of M31.[6] As of 2005, it is the closest known dSph companion to M31[7] at an estimated projected distance of ~40[4] kpc or ~150,000[6] light-years.
Andromeda I was discovered by Sidney van den Bergh[8] in 1970 with the Mount Palomar Observatory 48-inch telescope.[5] Further study of Andromeda I was done by the WFPC2 camera of the Hubble Space Telescope. This found that the horizontal branch stars, like other dwarf spheroidal galaxies were predominantly red.[9] From this, and the abundance of blue horizontal branch stars, along with 99 RR Lyrae stars detected in 2005,[7] lead to the conclusion there was an extended epoch of star formation. The estimated age is approximately 10 Gyr. The Hubble telescope also found a globular cluster in Andromeda I, being the least luminous galaxy where such a cluster was found.[10]