Story perspectives

Astronomers Discover 185,000-Light-Year Gas Bridge Between Galaxies

10/21/2025

27 5

Summary

Story summary

The University of Western Australia astronomers identified a 185,000-light-year gas bridge between the dwarf galaxies NGC 4532 and DDO 137, about 53 million light-years away.
The bridge formed through tidal forces and ram pressure from the Virgo cluster, stripping gas over billions of years.
The study is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The finding informs models of galactic interactions and star formation in dense environments.

1 of 1

Story summary

The University of Western Australia astronomers identified a 185,000-light-year gas bridge between the dwarf galaxies NGC 4532 and DDO 137, about 53 million light-years away.
The bridge formed through tidal forces and ram pressure from the Virgo cluster, stripping gas over billions of years.
The study is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The finding informs models of galactic interactions and star formation in dense environments.