Galaxy News: Large galaxies have been shown to have cannibalistic tendencies, as they enjoy partying by eating smaller galaxies near them.
Even more shocking, according to researchers from the University of Western Australia, is that our galaxy, Milky Way, is on the verge of turning into a secular cannibal that will eat their weak neighbors.
Σε ένα έγγραφο που δημοσιεύτηκε στο τεύχος της 19 Σεπτεβρίου 2014 του περιοδικού Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, του Πανεπιστημίου της Δυτικής Αυστραλίας, οι επιστήμονες υποστηρίζουν ότι, σύμφωνα με τα στοιχεία που έχουν, οι τεράστιοι γαλαξίες συμπεριφέρονται διαφορετικά από ότι οι μικρότεροι. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, οι αστρονόμοι λένε ότι, αφού μελέτησαν περίπου 22.000 γαλαξίες, διαπίστωσαν ότι εκείνοι που δεν έχουν ένα εντυπωσιακά μεγάλο μέγεθος, μετατρέπουν τα φυσικά αέρια στα σωθικά τους σε νέα αστέριa, as it informs us Phys Org.
But huge galaxies, on the other hand, seem to be quite lazy, which means they prefer to grow bigger by smashing their smaller neighbors. And so they become mums for the stars that the smaller galaxies spent thousands of years to create.
"All galaxies started small and grew by collecting gas and efficiently conversion of stars. But then the smaller ones were eaten by a much larger galaxy," Dr. Aaron Robotham said in a statement.
What does the future hold for our Galaxy? As mentioned, our Galaxy is slowly turning into a cosmic cannibal. Thus, scientists say that the Galaxy seems to be growing and having new stars mainly by swallowing other galaxies near it. In fact, the evidence so far shows that our Galaxy has already bitten some other galaxies, and intends to do so again sometime in the future.
More specifically, it is expected to eat up the two nearby dwarf galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, in space περίπου 4 δισεκατομμυρίων χρόνων. Ένα billion years later, it will merge with the nearby Andromeda galaxy.
