clockwise around Whidbey Island
- Local Group (Wikipedia)
The Local Group is the galaxy group that includes the Milky Way. It has a total diameter of roughly 3 megaparsecs (10 million light-years; 9×1022 metres), and a total mass of the order of 2×1012 solar masses (4×1042 kg). It consists of two collections of galaxies in a “dumbbell” shape: the Milky Way and its satellites form one lobe, and the Andromeda Galaxy and its satellites constitute the other. The two collections are separated by about 800 kpc (3×106 ly; 2×1022 m) and are moving toward one another with a velocity of 123 km/s. The group itself is a part of the larger Virgo Supercluster, which may be a part of the Laniakea Supercluster. The exact number of galaxies in the Local Group is unknown as some are occluded by the Milky Way; however, at least 80 members are known, most of which are dwarf galaxies.
Washington Trails Association
- Dugualla State Park (wta.org)
The land encompassed by Dugualla State Park was acquired in 1992, when Washington State Parks bought the property to prevent it from being logged. It is now a quiet little state park at the north end of Oak Harbor.