Right ascension 02 55 42.7 Distance ~10 Mly (~ 3 Mpc) Apparent magnitude (V) 17.33 (V-band) | Declination +58° 51' 37" Group or cluster IC 342/Maffei Type dSph | |
Similar Dwingeloo 1, Maffei 2, Maffei 1, NGC 1560, Cassiopeia Dwarf | ||
MB3 is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy discovered in 1997 and located about 10 million light-years away from the Earth. It was discovered during an optical survey of the IC 342/Maffei group to which the galaxy is a member. MB3 is a companion galaxy of Dwingeloo 1 and situated in the Zone of Avoidance. MB 3 is thought to be a member of the IC 342/Maffei Group, a galaxy group adjacent to the Local Group.
The visible diameter of MB 3 is approximately 1.9′, which at the distance of 3 Mpc corresponds to about 2 kpc. In optical images it appears as a highly flattened diffuse oval located approximately 9.2′ to the southwest of Dwingeloo 1. No neutral or molecular hydrogen has been detected in it, which is consistent with its classification as a dwarf spheroidal galaxy.