A new study has suggested that the Small Magellanic Cloud, a relatively small galaxy that neighbours ours, is being torn apart by the gravitational pull of a neighbouring galaxy. The research, published in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, analyzed data from the Gaia space mission and found evidence that the SMC’s stars are moving in opposite directions on either side of the galaxy, indicating they are being pulled apart.
According to Kengo Tachihara, lead researcher at Nagoya University in Japan, the team initially suspected an error in their analysis but confirmed the results upon closer examination. The study suggests that the Large Magellanic Cloud is exerting a gravitational influence on the SMC, leading to its gradual destruction.
The research also sheds light on the dynamics of star formation and motion within galaxies. By studying the SMC, scientists can gain insights into the early universe and the processes that shaped it. The findings are significant because they provide a unique opportunity to observe the detailed stellar motion in an galaxy other than our own.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/space/galaxy-cloud-milky-way-b2731123.html