News Astronomy

Half of the Milky Way comes from other galaxies

Simulations suggest that galactic winds blew the material in from elsewhere

galaxies M81 and M82

STEALING GAS  The galaxies M81 (left) and M82 (right) may be exchanging gas. Supernova explosions in M82 would toss out gas that could be pulled toward M81, helping it bulk up.

Markus Schopfer/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)

By Ashley Yeager

- More than 2 years ago

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Galaxies may grow by swiping gas from their neighbors.