Surviving the Shredding: Unveiling the Eroded Dwarf Galaxies

Astronomers have discovered the eroding remains of 100 dwarf galaxies that have been stripped of their outer layer of stars by larger galaxies, providing evidence for the existence of a "missing link" in the evolution of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs). UCDs are extremely dense collections of stars that have puzzled scientists for years. The newly discovered galaxies are in the process of transitioning into UCDs, confirming the theory that UCDs are the remnants of destroyed dwarf galaxies. The findings suggest that there are likely many more low-mass remnants to be found.