Sentences with phrase «galactic cannibalism»
"Galactic cannibalism" refers to a phenomenon in space where larger galaxies consume or merge with smaller galaxies. It's called cannibalism because it's similar to how some animals eat others of their own kind. Full definition
Some stars in the spheroid are the remains of galactic cannibalism, having come from dwarf galaxies that fell into the spiral galaxy, were ripped apart by powerful tidal forces, and were incorporated into the larger galaxy's structure.
discovermagazine.com
Bullock notes that this is not the first time such evidence has been found — in fact, some of McConnachie's co-authors published evidence for galactic cannibalism in Andromeda in 2001.
When we look at NGC 5128, we are looking at a case of galactic cannibalism.
Gravitational interactions — from glancing blows to head - on collisions, tidal influencing, mergers, and galactic cannibalism — can be devastating to galaxies.
In 2015, it came to light that NGC 1512 has a history when it comes to galactic cannibalism, as it was revealed that the outer regions of its spiral arms are actually formed from a separate, even older galaxy.