The Milky Way swallowed a smaller galaxy about 11.8 billion years ago

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New research reveals that the Milky Way galaxy absorbed a smaller galaxy approximately 11.8 billion years ago during the early universe. This discovery sheds light on the complex evolutionary history of our galaxy including the formation of its central star clusters.

The Milky Way, a ⁠large and spiral-shaped galaxy that is home to hundreds of billions of stars including our sun, has taken a long and complicated path to achieve its current dimensions, as illustrated by new research documenting a milestone event early in its history. Scientists observing clusters of stars congregated near the Milky Way’s centre have discovered evidence that our galaxy swallowed a smaller galaxy roughly 11.8 billion years ago, when the universe was less ‌than 15 per cent of its...