Cosmic cannibalism, or the merging of small galaxies with larger ones, happens all over the universe. We now know that the Milky Way lost a sister galaxy to Andromeda, and we’re now a step closer to understanding what might ultimately happen when Andromeda comes for us.
We report on Day 3 of the summer AAS meeting in Denver, CO. Highlights include a look at the triumphs of helioseismology, discussions on merging galaxies, and a new way to weigh the Milky Way.
Some of the most interesting structures on galactic scales are formed via tidal interactions. Today’s paper arrives at some unexpected conclusions about which types of galaxies are most likely to host such tidal features.
How does habitability vary on a galactic scale?
Can observations of stars help to determine the local dark matter velocity?
Do wobbling galaxies at the center of galaxy clusters indicate interactions between dark matter particles?