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Scientists discover smallest galaxy ever seen: 'It's like having a perfectly functional human being that's the size of a grain of rice'
- Astronomers have discovered Andromeda XXXV, the smallest and faintest galaxy located roughly 3 million light-years away within a collection of tiny galaxies orbiting the Andromeda galaxy.
- Despite its small size, Andromeda XXXV and similar dwarf galaxies challenge existing theories of cosmic evolution by surviving in conditions where they should have been destroyed in the early universe.
- Andromeda XXXV is like a perfectly functional galaxy the size of a grain of rice, about a millionth of the size of the Milky Way.
- These dwarf galaxies, including Andromeda XXXV, differ from the Milky Way's dwarf galaxies by continuing to form stars up to a few billion years ago.
- One mystery is how these small galaxies sustained star formation without being 'fried' in the hot, dense conditions of the early universe.
- This observation challenges the belief that such galaxies would lose gas needed for star formation due to cosmic heat, as seen with Andromeda XXXV forming stars for a prolonged period.
- The research on Andromeda XXXV and other dwarf galaxies near Andromeda sheds new light on galaxy formation, evolution, and structure, prompting a deeper understanding of cosmic history.
- The discovery has led to further questions and plans for missions to uncover more dwarf galaxies around large galaxies, potentially unveiling more surprises in our understanding of the universe.
- Astronomers used various datasets and the Hubble Space Telescope to find Andromeda XXXV, which has broad implications for our knowledge of galactic evolution.
- The team's findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, emphasizing the need for continued exploration to unravel the complexities of galaxy formation and cosmic history.
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