Episode Details

Scientists have uncovered the earliest known galactic merger in our Milky Way’s history — a cosmic devouring event 11.8 billion years ago when the galaxy swallowed a smaller galaxy, fueling massive star formation and injecting dark matter. Using Hubble and Gaia, researchers studied ancient star clusters near the galactic center, revealing how gas collisions triggered stellar explosions while stars themselves likely passed unscathed. Though those stars may still linger in our galaxy’s core, today’s dust makes them nearly impossible to spot — like searching for one grain of sand on a crowded beach.

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