Andromeda's cosmic 'cannibalism' revealed
Images have been released showing how the Andromeda galaxy is expanding as it cannibalises stars from other galaxies. Taken by astronomers as part of the largest panoramic survey of Andromeda ever made these images focused on the outskirts of the galaxy.
It is said to confirm what scientists had previously predicted, that cosmic cannibalism takes place, with the "remnants of dwarf galaxies" clearly visible.
The boffins said the stars spottted could not have formed within the galaxy itself.
At 2.5 million light years from our own galaxy, the Andromeda Galaxy is our closest giant neighbour … after hearing this I'm glad it isn't closer.
Dr Avon Huxor, of the University of Bristol said: "Galaxies are large collections of stars and other matter that are held together by gravity.
"Theory holds that they evolve and grow by absorbing smaller galaxies over time. One way to test this idea is to find the left-overs from this process.
"But finding these faint structures is difficult, since it involves looking over an area hundreds of times larger than the main disk of the galaxy.
"The really exciting thing about this study is that we can see this merging of galaxies in real detail for the first time."
Photo by John Dubinski and Larry Widrow
LINKS
University of Bristol
"Theory holds that they evolve and grow by absorbing smaller galaxies over time. One way to test this idea is to find the left-overs from this process.
"But finding these faint structures is difficult, since it involves looking over an area hundreds of times larger than the main disk of the galaxy.
"The really exciting thing about this study is that we can see this merging of galaxies in real detail for the first time."
Photo by John Dubinski and Larry Widrow
LINKS
University of Bristol
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