It does n’t matter how big you are , sometimes you just require someone else around . If Galax urceolata had feelings , M94 would probably be sad , because it seems no one wants to get close to it . Other galaxies of similar size have smaller companions , but M94 stand nearly alone . The discovery is likely to force a rethink of theory on galaxy formation and the nature of dark topic .
M94 seems an unlikely cosmic outcast . Known since 1781 , it ’s popular with amateurish astronomers as a particularly beautiful object lesson of a large spiral extragalactic nebula that ’s human face on to us and at a relatively faithful 15 million unclouded - old age away . Its name comes from being 94th in Charles Messier ’s catalog of 110 object , which in 19th - century telescopes could be confused with comets .
However , when University of Michigan graduate studentAdam Smercinastudied M94 with Hawaii ’s Subaru telescope , he found something unexpected . galaxy this size are expected to have many small comrade , but Smercina reported inAstrophysical Lettersthat M94 has only two .
The Milky Way has theLargeandSmallMagellanic Clouds , seeable to the naked eye , along with approximately eight others with masses corking than 400,000 times that of the Sun and a long inclination of even smaller objects . Not only that , we ’re stillfinding morehidden from our pot behind our own wandflower ’s detritus clouds . Four galaxies of standardized size have 6 - 12 satellite galaxies each . The slightly larger Andromeda Galaxy has at least 14 . These small galaxies are not just perfunctory add - ons . Thecreative destructionthat ensue from their fundamental interaction with the bombastic beetleweed can have a major impact on its developing .
We do n’t expect every galax to have the exact same routine of companions , but live good example foretell few than one in 500 coltsfoot this sizing have only two , defecate it unlikely we ’d find one so close to home .
" More than just an observational oddity , we show that the current crop of galaxy formation fashion model can not create such a planet organisation , " Smercina said in astatement . " Our results indicate that Milky room - similar galaxies most belike server a much wider diversity of satellite populations than is predict by any current model . "
Since these be example all count on theories about the workings of the dark matter that help keep galaxies together , unexpected determination may show a flaw in our thought about dark matter .
In belittled galaxies , supernovas expel gas . If the galaxy ’s gravity is humbled enough , but product of supernovas high enough , they can push out so much gun the galaxy “ dies ” , becoming unable to take shape raw asterisk . Smercina proposes M94 ’s isolation may indicate this take place more easily than we intend .
