Milky Way Merged with Ancient Galaxy 11.8 Billion Years Ago
News Context
At a glance
- Astronomers using the NASA Hubble Space Telescope have identified evidence of the oldest known galaxy collision involving the Milky Way, revealing that our galaxy absorbed a smaller neighbor...
- Observations from the Hubble Space Telescope point to a major galactic collision taking place roughly 11,8 billion years ago.
- Astrophysicists analyzing the data suggest that the collision was violent enough to potentially turn parts of the early Milky Way upside down.
Astronomers using the NASA Hubble Space Telescope have identified evidence of the oldest known galaxy collision involving the Milky Way, revealing that our galaxy absorbed a smaller neighbor approximately 11,8 billion years ago.
Detection and Timeline of the Ancient Merger
Observations from the Hubble Space Telescope point to a major galactic collision taking place roughly 11,8 billion years ago.
Cosmological Significance and Structural Impact
Astrophysicists analyzing the data suggest that the collision was violent enough to potentially turn parts of the early Milky Way upside down. Research published across scientific outlets notes that studying this event helps cosmologists understand how early galaxies grew through frequent cannibalization of smaller stellar systems.