From the southern hemisphere of Earth, observers can clearly see a pair of celestial bodies—the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)—two satellite galaxies orbiting our Milky Way. Surprisingly, astronomers have discovered that LMC’s gravity is tearing apart SMC.

A new study led by Japanese astronomer Satoya Nakano from Nagoya University tracked the movement patterns of approximately 7,000 massive stars within the SMC. Researchers found unexpected variations in these stars' movements; some are being pulled toward the nearby LMC while others are pushed away, indicating that the SMC is experiencing gravitational influence from the LMC. This research provides compelling evidence suggesting continuous gravitational tugging could eventually lead to the disintegration of the SMC.

Unlike stars and surrounding gas clouds within our galaxy, which typically rotate together, researchers observed a lack of rotational movement among these massive stars in the SMC. Young, large stars usually move along with their birthplace’s gaseous cloud until they break free; however, this absence of a rotation pattern suggests that the gases themselves are not rotating either. This finding may require revisions to our understanding of complex gravitational relationships between LMC and Milky Way galaxies.

This study also offers insights into how galaxies interact—particularly in early cosmic times when SMC-like primitive galaxies played key roles in galaxy formation processes. By observing stellar movements within both clouds, researchers can connect star-forming processes with galactic dynamics and reshape their perception of the universe.

The new paper was published in *The Astrophysical Journal*.

(Featured image source: pixabay)