Galactic Collisions Illuminate Universe's Giants

Astronomers at the University of Southampton have unveiled how giant elliptical galaxies formed through colossal disk galaxy collisions around 12 billion years ago. Utilizing data from the James Webb and LOFAR telescopes, researchers discovered that these cosmic crashes funneled gas into galactic cores, igniting the rapid birth of trillions of stars. This breakthrough not only deepens our understanding of early universe evolution but also highlights the universe's favorite pastime: galaxy smashing.