THE OBSERVED PROPERTIES OF DWARF GALAXIES IN AND AROUND THE LOCAL GROUP

Positional, structural and dynamical parameters for all dwarf galaxies in and around the Local Group are presented, and various aspects of our observational understanding of this volume-limited sample are discussed. Over 100 nearby galaxies that have distance estimates placing them within 3Mpc of the Sun are identified. This distance threshold samples dwarfs in a large range of environments, from the satellite systems of the MW and M31, to the dwarfs in the outer regions of the Local Group, to the numerous isolated galaxies found in its surroundings. It extends to, but does not include, the galaxies associated with the next nearest groups. Our basic knowledge of this important galactic subset and their…