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Ancient clash with 'Kraken' galaxy shaped Milky Way formation

A recent study indicates that a major merger involving the Milky Way and the 'Kraken' galaxy occurred around 12 billion years ago.

18 August 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Ancient clash with 'Kraken' galaxy shaped Milky Way formation — Archive photoPhoto: tobo · Flickr · BY-SA

A new study suggests that a significant event in the history of the Milky Way, referred to as the 'Low-energy-Kraken-Heracles' merger, took place approximately 12 billion years ago. This clash is considered crucial in the formation of the Milky Way as it interacted with a smaller galaxy.

According to reports, this merger involved the Milky Way consuming the smaller 'Kraken' galaxy around 11.8 billion years ago, contributing to the structure and evolution of the Milky Way we observe today.

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