dwarf galaxies
Mapping the Stars in a Dwarf Galaxy to Reveal its Dark Matter
Dark matter is curious stuff! As the name suggests, it’s dark making it notoriously difficult to study. Although it’s is…
The Milky Way’s Last Merger Event Was More Recent Than Thought
The Milky Way is only as massive as it is because of collisions and mergers with other galaxies. This is…
The Milky Way’s Smallest, Faintest Satellite Galaxy Found
The Milky Way has many satellite galaxies, most notably the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. They're both visible to the…
Dwarf Galaxies Could be the Key to Explaining Dark Matter
If dark matter is a particle, it's possible that it could self-annihilate, becoming normal matter and releasing gamma radiation. Dwarf…
Dwarf Galaxies Banished the Darkness and Lit Up the Early Universe
During the Universe's Dark Ages, dense primordial gas absorbed and scattered light, prohibiting it from travelling. Only when the first…
Mystery Solved. How We Get Ultra-Compact Dwarf Galaxies
I have been fascinated by galaxies for most of my adult life. I find it amazing that, just as we…
The Perfect Tidal Tail Connects These two Galaxies Seen by Hubble
Sometimes it's tempting to imagine a supernatural hand behind the arrangement of celestial bodies. But the Universe is big, huge…
Dwarf Galaxies Found Without Influence From Dark Matter
Ask astronomers about dark matter and one of the things they talk about is that this invisible, mysterious "stuff" permeates…
A Nearby Dwarf Galaxy has a Surprisingly Massive Black Hole in its Heart
New research from UT Austin shows that dwarf galaxies - like our neighbor, Leo I - also have massive black…
It Took 50 Nights of Observations to Capture New Data on the Magellanic Clouds
The Magellanic Clouds are two of our closest neighbours, in galactic terms. The pair of irregular dwarf galaxies were drawn…