  We use galaxy groups selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to examine
the alignment between the orientation of the central galaxy (defined as the
brightest group member) and the distribution of satellite galaxies. By
construction, we therefore only address the alignment on scales smaller than
the halo virial radius. We find a highly significant alignment of satellites
with the major axis of their central galaxy. This is in qualitative agreement
with the recent study of Brainerd (2005), but inconsistent with several
previous studies who detected a preferential minor axis alignment. The
alignment strength in our sample is strongest between red central galaxies and
red satellites. On the contrary, the satellite distribution in systems with a
blue central galaxy is consistent with isotropic. We also find that the
alignment strength is stronger in more massive haloes and at smaller projected
radii from the central galaxy. In addition, there is a weak indication that
fainter (relative to the central galaxy) satellites are more strongly aligned.
We present a detailed comparison with previous studies, and discuss the
implications of our findings for galaxy formation.
