New images capture 'stealth merger' of dwarf galaxies
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 - 15:31
in Astronomy & Space
New images of a nearby dwarf galaxy have revealed a dense stream of stars in its outer regions, the remains of an even smaller companion galaxy in the process of merging with its host. The host galaxy, known as NGC 4449, is the smallest primary galaxy in which a stellar stream from an ongoing merger has been identified and studied in detail.