Editing Dwarf elliptical galaxy (section)

== Relation to other elliptical galaxy types ==
Dwarf elliptical galaxies have blue [[absolute magnitude]]s within the range {{nowrap| −18 < {{mvar|M}}{{sub|V}} < −14 :}} fainter than ordinary elliptical galaxies.

The surface brightness profiles of ordinary [[elliptical galaxy|elliptical galaxies]] was formerly approximated using [[de Vaucouleur's law|''de&nbsp;Vaucouleur's model'']], while dEs were approximated with an exponentially declining surface brightness profile. However, both types fit well by a more general function, known as [[Sersic's law|''Sersic's model'']], and there is a continuity of ''Sersic index'' (which quantifies the shape of the surface brightness profile) as a function of galaxy luminosity.<ref>{{cite journal
 |first1=A. |last1=Graham
 |first2=R. |last2=Guzman
 |name-list-style=amp
 |date=June 2003
 |title=HST photometry of dwarf elliptical galaxies in Coma, and an explanation for the alleged structural dichotomy between dwarf and bright elliptical galaxies
 |journal=The Astronomical Journal
 |volume=125  |issue=6  |pages=2936–2958
 |doi=10.1086/374992 |bibcode=2003AJ....125.2936G  |arxiv=astro-ph/0303391
 |s2cid=13284968
 |url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/374992/pdf
}}
</ref> This is interpreted as showing that dwarf elliptical and ordinary elliptical galaxies belong to a single sequence.

An even-fainter type of elliptical-like galaxies, called [[dwarf spheroidal galaxies]], may be a genuinely distinct class.