Astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and their collaborators have discovered a new ultra-diffuse galaxy.
It is 430 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo.
This galaxy is located at the tip of the longest tidal tail ever discovered, stretching out from galaxy NGC 3785.
The tidal tail is a long stream of stars and interstellar gas. The tidal tail holds the clues about the formation of ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs).
Omkar Bait first recognized the uniqueness of the tidal tail.
The formation of the ultra-diffuse galaxy is due to gravitational interaction between NGC 3785 and a neighbouring galaxy.
This discovery will provide crucial information about the formation of ultra-diffuse galaxies, which have long been a subject of fascination for astronomers.
