The Tumultuous Milky Way and Its Satellite Galaxies August 23, 2011

How do large spiral galaxies like our Milky Way develop and grow? Dr. Elena D’Onghia, a Keck Fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, discusses the complex relationship between large galaxies and their dwarf neighbors. She describes two linked, dramatic processes: the cannibalization of small satellites galaxies by large ones; and the way in which the presence of small satellite galaxies can distort the disk of a large galaxy, causing distinctive spiral arms.

Co-sponsored by Science for the Public and BU Dept of Astronomy
details at http://www.scienceforthepublic.org/?page_id=3016

Official Website: http://www.scienceforthepublic.org/?page_id=3016