Astronomers Discover Smallest Galaxy, Challenging Cosmic Evolution Theories

Astronomers have discovered Andromeda XXXV, the smallest and faintest galaxy ever observed, located approximately 3 million light-years from Earth. This galaxy challenges existing theories of galaxy formation, which posited that such small galaxies would not have survived the harsh conditions of the early universe. Measuring about 1,000 light-years across, Andromeda XXXV is a fully functional galaxy, despite being just a millionth the size of the Milky Way, and intriguingly, it has managed to sustain star formation. Researchers, led by Marcos Arias from the University of Michigan, utilized the Hubble Space Telescope and various astronomical surveys to confirm this finding. The discovery raises significant questions about how small galaxies like Andromeda XXXV can endure in an environment where most would have been destroyed. Eric Bell, a team member, likened it to having a functional human being the size of a grain of rice, emphasizing the need for a reevaluation of our understanding of cosmic evolution and galaxy survival.