Astronomers find two galaxies identical to the Milky Way
Although the Milky Way is a fairly typical galaxy, the fact that it has two small neighbors - the Magellanic Clouds, the Big and the Small, which are visible from the Southern Hemisphere - makes it a very rare formation. So much so that, according to a story published by Sci-News, so far only two other galaxies like ours have been identified.
According to the publication, an international group of astronomers, after assessing GAMA - the most detailed map of the universe available to date - has been able to identify 14 galaxies similar to ours among the thousands visible on the map, only two of which are nearly identical. to the Milky Way.
Twins
As the astronomers explained, only 3% of the galaxies that look like ours have small neighbors like the Magellanic Clouds (when we say “small, ” we're comparing to the size of the Milky Way). However, it is very rare for “neighboring” galaxies to be as large as our two companions.
Astronomers have also found that the galaxies that rely on these smaller neighboring formations are generally more like the Milky Way, pointing out that Magellanic clouds are extremely rare and will only exist for a few billion years, insisting that we should enjoy the privilege of being able to. observe them while still possible.
Sources: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and Sci-News
