Wednesday, August 13, 2025

When Dwarfs Dance, Do Galaxies Merge?

The Milky Way - Andromeda merger could occur in the next few billion years. But what will it look like? Will the pair of galaxies and their dwarfs 'dance' before merging, like other merging galaxies do? Image Credit: University of Queensland.

New research shows how the 'dancing' behaviour of dwarf satellite galaxies can predict mergers between their hosts. A distant pair of galaxies is undergoing the same type of merger that Milky Way/Andromeda will undergo. Can the behaviour of their dwarf satellites tell astronomers what will happen when the MW and Andromeda merge?



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