The Ancient Appetite of the Milky Way The discovery of a galactic merger 11. 8 billion years ago has shed new light on the growth and evolution of the Milky Way.
This finding challenges our understanding of the role of mergers in shaping the universe, forcing us to reevaluate our assumptions about galaxy development.
Scientists have long known that the Milky Way's path to its current dimensions was complex. Initially, it was thought that the galaxy grew primarily through internal processes like star formation.