NASA’s Hubble Reveals Impact of Milky Way’s Gravitational Force on Large Magellanic Cloud

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has captured a fascinating close encounter between the Milky Way and one of its nearest neighbours, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Led by Andrew Fox of the European Space Agency's Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the study reveals the effects of the LMC’s near-collision with the Milky Way’s vast halo, including a substantial reduction of the LMC’s own gas halo.

Unexpected Findings: Measuring the LMC’s Halo

For the first time, Hubble's data enabled researchers to measure the LMC’s halo, revealing that it spans 50,000 light-years, much smaller than similar galaxies. This shrinkage is attributed to the LMC’s interaction with the Milky Way, which stripped away a significant portion of its outer gas layer. Despite the loss, the LMC still retains enough gas to form new stars, demonstrating its resilience despite its diminished size.

The Power of Ram-Pressure Stripping

The primary force behind the LMC’s halo loss is ram-pressure stripping. As the LMC neared the Milky Way, the larger galaxy's gravitational influence created a "wind" effect, pushing the LMC’s gas outward in a tail-like stream. Sapna Mishra, the lead author, likened this to a powerful “hairdryer” stripping away the gas. Fortunately, this gas isn’t entirely lost, as the LMC is now moving away from the Milky Way after its closest approach.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Galactic Research

Future research will focus on exploring the unexplored region at the leading edge of the LMC’s halo. Scott Lucchini from the Centre for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian emphasised that studying the collision between the two halos could offer valuable insights into early galactic interactions, shaping our understanding of the universe's formation.