Astronomers have identified 20 very old stars in the Milky Way, which may have originated from the dwarf galaxy Loki, swallowed up 10 billion years ago.

A recent study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society identified 20 very old, metal-poor stars in the Milky Way that may have originated from the dwarf galaxy Loki. This galaxy is thought to have been absorbed by the Milky Way about 10 billion years ago. Scientists, led by astrophysicist Federico Sestito, suggest that studying these stars is essential for understanding the history of our galaxy and the Universe. The stars were observed using a powerful spectrograph, and their chemical and orbital analysis indicated a common origin. Computer simulations suggest that the merger with Loki could have dispersed the stars in various directions, thus explaining the observed orbits. Although the conclusions are promising, Sestito emphasizes the need for further observations to confirm the nature of the Loki galaxy.