Long-lost sibling of the Milky Way was eaten by Andromeda billions of years ago

Scientists have discovered the remnants of a galaxy hiding in plain sight.

The galaxy, named M32p, was once the third largest in the group of galaxies nearest to our Milky Way — known as the Local Group. The Andromeda galaxy and M32p existed in harmony until around 2 billion years ago, but then something shifted. 

According to a new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy today, Andromeda actually devoured the smaller galaxy, and its remains can be see in the clouds, gas, and dust of the huge galaxy today.

Massive galaxies like Andromeda automatically attract other galaxies to it when they’re in close enough range due to its size and its gravitational pull. Because of that, it’s not unusual for a galaxy of that mass to effectively cannibalize other nearby galaxies nearby.  Read more…

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