Local Sheet

The Local Sheet or the Coma–Sculptor Cloud is a nearby galaxy filament and an extragalactic region of space where the Milky Way, the members of the Local Group, and other galaxies share a similar peculiar velocity.^[2] This region lies within a diameter of about 10.4 megaparsecs (34 million light-years; 3.2×10²⁰ kilometres), 465 kiloparsecs (1.52 million light-years; 1.43×10¹⁹ kilometres) thick,^[1] and galaxies beyond that distance show markedly different velocities.^[3] The Local Group has only a relatively small peculiar velocity of 66 km⋅s⁻¹ with respect to the Local Sheet. Typical velocity dispersion of galaxies is only 40 km⋅s⁻¹ in the radial direction.^[2] Nearly all nearby bright galaxies belong to the Local Sheet.^[4] The Local Sheet is part of the Local Volume and is in the Virgo Supercluster (Local Supercluster).^[1] The Local Sheet forms a wall of galaxies delineating one boundary of the Local Void.^[5]

Number of galaxies14 (giant galaxies)^[1]

Parent structureLocal Volume^[1]

Major axis33.9 Mly (10.4 Mpc)^[1]

Minor axis1.52 Mly (0.465 Mpc)^[1]

Quick facts Observation data (Epoch J2000), Number of galaxies ...

Local Sheet
A portion of the Local Sheet, the Council of Giants, on the top view within 10 million light-years from Earth, including the Local Group and other nearby giant galaxies.
Observation data (Epoch J2000)
Number of galaxies	14 (giant galaxies)[1]
Parent structure	Local Volume[1]
Major axis	33.9 Mly (10.4 Mpc)[1]
Minor axis	1.52 Mly (0.465 Mpc)[1]
Velocity dispersion	47 km/s[1]
Distance	420,700 ly (129 kpc) (center)[1]
ICM temperature	7.3×105 K[1]
Binding mass	1.6×1013[1] M☉
Other designations
Local Street, Coma–Sculptor Cloud[1]

Close

A significant component of the mean velocity of the galaxies in the Local Sheet appears as the result of the gravitational attraction of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies, resulting in a peculiar motion ~185 km⋅s⁻¹ toward the cluster.^[2] A second component is directed away from the center of the Local Void; an expanding region of space spanning an estimated 45 Mpc (150 Mly) that is only sparsely populated with galaxies.^[3] This component has a velocity of 259 km⋅s⁻¹.^[2] The Local Sheet is inclined 8° from the Local Supercluster (Virgo Supercluster).^[1]

The so-called Council of Giants is a ring of twelve large galaxies surrounding the Local Group in the Local Sheet, with a radius of 3.746 Mpc (12.22 Mly) and its center located at 810 kpc (2.6 Mly) away from the Sun.^[1] Ten of these are spirals, while the remaining two are ellipticals. The two ellipticals (Maffei 1 and Centaurus A) lie on opposite sides of the Local Group.

* The mass is given as the logarithm (base unspecified) of the mass in solar masses.