It seems two of our cosmic housemates have gotten into a bit of a disagreement. A new study from The Australian National University published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters details two dwarf galaxies, aptly named the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud, have been magnetically ripping chunks from each other for several billion years. The SMC has multiple sections of stars that have either been pulled or pushed away from its center, while the parts of the LMC closest to the SMC are warped and distorted. The team has jokingly compared this cosmic war to the classic tale of David and Goliath, albeit with less success on the little guy’s part.
The team discovered this phenomenon through the dark energy camera mounted on Chile’s Blanco telescope. Material has been flung from both clouds across a channel known as the Magellanic Stream, kind of like a bowling lane. There’s also a third dwarf galaxy in the center, an ultra-faint dwarf named Hydrus 1, whose dense dark matter may be contributing to the distortions on both sides.
All three of these galaxies are expected to be consumed by the Milky Way in a few million years, but until then, they’re locked in a beautifully chaotic endless waltz.
