NASA’s Hubble Reveals Impact of Milky Way’s Gravitational Force on Large Magellanic Cloud 253z5w Technology News

Hubble reveals how the Milky Way’s halo has shaped the Large Magellanic Cloud. 5u5639

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 16 November 2024 09:00 IST

NASA’s Hubble Reveals Impact of Milky Way’s Gravitational Force on Large Magellanic Cloud

Photo Credit: NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI) j67x

The LMC moves through the Milky Way's halo, leaving a gas trail observed via Hubble.

Highlights

Hubble captures LMC's interaction with the Milky Way’s halo.
Surprising findings show LMC’s compact gas halo.
Ram-pressure stripping seen affecting the LMC.

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In a recent observation, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, reveals the effects of its near-collision with the Milky Way's massive halo, including a significant reduction of the LMC's own halo of gas.

The LMC's Halo: A Surprising Measurement 244f4l

For the first time, Hubble data allowed researchers to measure the extent of the LMC's halo, which is now estimated at 50,000 light-years across, considerably smaller than other galaxies of similar mass. This contraction of the halo, explained Fox, points to the effects of the LMC's encounter with the Milky Way, which stripped away a considerable portion of its outer gas layer. Despite these losses, the LMC still contains sufficient gas to form new stars, adding resilience to the otherwise diminished dwarf galaxy.

Ram-Pressure Stripping: The Force at Play 4782c

A process known as ram-pressure stripping is responsible for much of the LMC's halo loss. As the LMC approached the Milky Way, the larger galaxy's gravitational influence exerted a "wind" effect, pushing back the LMC's gas into a tail-like stream that now trails the galaxy. Sapna Mishra, lead author on the research paper, likened this force to a powerful “hairdryer,” stripping away the LMC's gas. This gas, however, is not expected to be completely lost, as the galaxy begins to move away from the Milky Way after its closest .

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Future Research and Cosmic Implications 461o1p

As the team moves forward, plans are in place to study the leading edge of the LMC's halo, which remains largely unexplored. Scott Lucchini of the Centre for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian remarked that this research will focus on the collision points between the two halos, providing insight into the nature of galactic interactions in the universe's early days.

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