Noun
hypergalaxy (plural hypergalaxies)
- (astronomy, rare) A system that consists of an enormous galaxy accompanied by multiple, smaller satellite galaxies, often elliptical, such as the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy.
1965, Kirill Fedorovich Ogorodnikov, Dynamics of Stellar Systems, Pergamon Press, page 91:This system we call the Hypergalaxy or second-order Galaxy.
1978, J. Einasto, The Large Scale Structure of the Universe; Proceedings of the Symposium, Tallin, Estonian SSR, September 12-16, 1977, page 51:The term hypergalaxies is applied to galaxies plus their massive coronas and all objects moving in the coronas.
1987, L. E. Gurevich, A. D. Chernin, The Magic of Galaxies and Stars, Mir Publishers Moscow, page 175:A typical hypergalaxy is approximately three to five times more massive than its central galaxy.