Hubble detects protective shield defending a pair of dwarf galaxies

Hubble detects a shield that protects a pair of dwarf galaxies

The Magellanic cloud system, two satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, is surrounded by a...

Hubble Detects Protective Shield Defending a Pair of Dwarf Galaxies

Recent theoretical predictions suggest that the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds must be protected by a pervasive shield that prevents the Milky Way from removing their essential star-forming gas.

Hubble Detects Protective Shield Defending a Pair of Dwarf Galaxies

Hubble detects protective shield defending a pair of dwarf galaxies

For billions of years, the Milky Way's largest satellite galaxies—the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds—have followed a perilous journey. Orbiting one another as they are pulled in toward our home galaxy, they have begun to unravel, leaving behind trails of gaseous debris. And yet—to the puzzlement of astronomers—these dwarf galaxies remain intact, with ongoing vigorous star formation.

The Hubble telescope detects a protective shield around two dwarf galaxies

This discovery addresses a new aspect in the evolution of galaxies.

Hubble Detects Protective Shield Defending a Pair of Dwarf Galaxies

Researchers have used Hubble and FUSE observations of ultraviolet light from quasars to detect and map the Magellanic Corona, a diffuse halo of hot, supercharge