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Exploring the Mysteries of the Magellanic Stream: What We’ve Uncovered and What Remains Unknown

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2025

Elena D’Onghia Open the ORCID record for Elena D’Onghia [Opens in a new window]
Elena D’Onghia*
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin-Madison, 475 N Charter Str, Madison, USA
*
email: edonghia@astro.wisc.edu
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Abstract

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The Magellanic Stream is a lengthy, ribbon-like gas structure stretching 200 degrees across the sky and surrounding the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. These two galaxies are the brightest dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way (MW). The Stream is a major subject of study in galactic dynamics because it provides insights into the evolution of galaxies, including the MW and the Magellanic Clouds, its companion dwarf satellites, and the interstellar medium. Gas flows play a key role in galaxies’ growth, evolution, and sustainability, but many questions related to the Stream remain unanswered. Here, I will review the main advance in this subject of the last decade and posit new questions that need to be addressed.

Keywords

DynamicsGalaxiesMilky WayGas flows

Information

Type
Contributed Paper
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 19 , Symposium S379: Dynamical Masses of Local Group Galaxies , December 2023 , pp. 241 - 248
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Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of International Astronomical Union

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