Stretched in a cross pattern: Our neighboring galaxy is pulled in two axes, new evidence indicates

Stretched in a cross pattern: Our neighboring galaxy is pulled in two axes

Researchers have discovered that Cepheid variable stars in our neighboring galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud, are moving in opposing directions along two distinct axes. They found that stars closer to Earth move towards the northeast, while more distant stars move southwest. This newly discovered movement pattern exists alongside a northwest-southeast opposing movement that the scientists previously observed in massive stars.

The Small Magellanic Cloud is Being Pulled in Different Directions

The Small Magellanic Cloud is one of our closest galactic neighbours. It's a dwarf irregular galaxy about 200,000 light-years away, containing several hundred million stars. New research based on massive stars in the SMC shows it's being stretched along two different axes.

Stretched in a cross pattern: Our neighboring galaxy is pulled in two axes, new evidence indicates

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have discovered that Cepheid variable stars in our neighboring galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), are moving in opposing directions along two distinct axes. They found that stars closer to Earth move towards the northeast, while more distant stars move southwest.

Researchers from the University of Nagoya in Japan have discovered that the variable stars of Cepheid in our nearby galaxy, the small Magellanic cloud (SMC), move in opposite directions along two distinct axes. They have found that the closest stars to the Earth move north-east, while [...]