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Nearby satellite galaxies don't fit standard model

Recent study finds satellite dwarf galaxies in the Milky Way and Andromeda do not behave as predicted by the standard model of galaxy formation. The galaxies are instead found in huge disks, moving in the same direction, like planets in our solar system. This mismatch raises concerns about the accuracy of the standard model of cosmology.

SourceCase Western Reserve University·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateJun 11, 2014

Map of universe questioned; dwarf galaxies don't fit standard model

A new study questions the accepted model of galaxy formation, suggesting that dwarf galaxies may have formed from another galaxy through a tidal interaction. The research criticizes three recent papers that found satellite galaxies to support the standard model, instead finding 'serious issues' with their methods.

SourceRochester Institute of Technology·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateJun 11, 2014

Astronomers discover 'missing link' of black holes

Researchers used Earth-orbiting X-ray telescopes to observe a bingeing black hole that expels powerful beams of material, solving the debate over whether ULXs are black holes gorging themselves or more massive ones eating sedately. The discovery provides key insights into how jets are produced by a binging black hole.

SourceDurham University·JournalNature·DateDec 12, 2012

Monster galaxy pileup sighted

Astronomers have witnessed the rare sight of four galaxies crashing into each other, kicking up billions of stars and forming a single, massive galaxy. The merger, observed using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and WIYN Telescope, provides unprecedented insight into how the most massive galaxies in the universe form.

SourceYale University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateAug 6, 2007

Old galaxies in the young universe

Researchers used ESO's Very Large Telescope to identify four massive elliptical galaxies at a redshift of 1.6-1.9, dating back to around 3,500 million years ago. These galaxies have ages between 1,000 and 2,000 million years and masses in excess of one hundred thousand million solar masses.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateJul 7, 2004

Galacter merger leaves behind telltale blue arc

Astronomers have identified a vivid scar in the Centaurus A Galaxy, composed of clusters of young blue stars formed after the galaxy absorbed a smaller satellite galaxy 200 million to 400 million years ago. The discovery suggests absorption of smaller galaxies may contribute to galactic halo formation.

SourceJohns Hopkins University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateOct 17, 2002