Council of Giants

The Council of Giants is an informal name for a ring of twelve substantial galaxies (i.e., on the order of the Milky Way or larger) surrounding the Local Group, within the Local Sheet. The ring has a diameter on the order of 4 megaparsecs. Their proximity was pointed out and the nickname coined in 2014. The shape and position of the ring suggests some relation between them and the formation and maintenance of the Local Group. Galaxies:

• NGC 253
• PGC 9892, "Maffei 1"
• PGC 10217, "Maffei 2"
• IC 342
• NGC 3031, "M81"
• NGC 3034, M82
• NGC 4736, "M94"
• M64
• NGC 5236, "M83"
• NGC 5128, "Centaurus A"
• NGC 4945
• Circinus Galaxy