[4k] Las 10 Galaxias Más DIMINUTAS del Universo - DOCUMENTAL

In our explorations of the vast universe we have witnessed structures that defy imagination and reveal the amazing vastness of the cosmos We have contemplated titanic asteroids wandering rocks the size of continents drifting through space like floating islands in an infinite ocean We have observed colossal stars so enormous that they reduce our Sun to the size of a speck of dust Cosmic monsters called black holes that devour light and shape the fabric of space-time whose power eclipses even the largest stars Even massive clusters of stars planets and interstellar dust own as galaxies so colossal that some of them exceed in size by more than 200 times The size of our own galaxy the Milky Way But today we change focus We will take a turn and leave behind the immense to enter the other side of the universe the tiny Welcome to a journey toward the smallest known galaxies in the universe When we think of galaxies it is common to imagine vast collections of stars like the Milky Way or the majestic Andromeda These enormous cosmic structures with billions of stars nebulae and interstellar dust dominate our images of the universe However beyond these cosmic giants there exist extremely small and less luminous galaxies that reveal a less known aspect and in many cases more intriguing than the universe In this documentary we will compare the sizes of the smallest galaxies Taking as a reference the colossal size of our own Milky Way and to make it even more impressive we will also compare the smallest galaxy with the largest known in the universe Alcioneo We will realize that even the smallest galaxy we know It is still gigantic in comparison to human scale To understand the concept of these tiny structures that inhabit the cosmos it is first necessary to understand what a galaxy is And what is its difference from a star cluster A galaxy is defined as a collection of stars bound together by the force of gravity However this definition resembles that of a closed star cluster While galaxies can host billions of stars closed star clusters usually contain between thousands and hundreds of thousands But a galaxy can also host even fewer than a thousand stars So how do we distinguish a star cluster from a galaxy The most significant difference is that a star cluster It is generally found within a galaxy For example the star cluster M80 which is part of our own Milky Way It could be considered a dwarf galaxy if it were isolated in space far from galactic influence So the definition of a galaxy is subjective and depends on how observable characteristics are interpreted Number 10 Located approximately 97 000 light-years from Earth the Reticulum II galaxy is found a small but fascinating example of what the universe has to offer on its most modest scale With a diameter of about 424 light- years this galaxy is a true cosmic dwarf ousing approximately 5 000 stars within its interior To give us a clearer idea Let's imagine the Milky Way which has a diameter of 100 000 light-years It is the size of a soccer field covering approximately 100 meters in length Then the Reticulum II galaxy with a diameter of 424 light-years It would be the size of a basketball with a diameter of about 42 centimeters Reticulum II is a small spherical galaxy that despite its size plays an important role In the understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies It is classified as a member of the Local Group which includes other notable galaxies such as the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy However its small size and low brightness make it go unnoticed compared to these giants Located in the constellation Coma Berenices we find the Coma Dwarf galaxy A dwarf galaxy whose estimated diameter is about 300 light-years And although imagining the vastness of space is a challenge We can try to visualize it this way If we could travel at the speed of light the fastest possible speed in the universe It would take us 300 years to cross the Coma dwarf galaxy from one side to the other To give us an idea Light takes only 8 minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth and only 1.3 seconds to travel from the Moon to Earth Compare it now with the 300 years it would take light to cross this tiny galaxy In the constellation of Tucana about 163 000 light-years from Earth We found one of the smallest and oldest galaxies known to humanity Tucana II With a diameter of only 220 light-years this galaxy is so modest it could go unnoticed among the millions of stars in our universe With an estimated stellar population of between 1 000 and 5 000 stars Tucana II is a fascinating example of an ultra- faint dwarf galaxy that orbits our own Milky Way These small galaxies are usually metal-poor meaning they lack heavier elements such as iron and carbon which suggests that the stars in Tucana formed in the earliest stages of the universe When these elements had not yet been produced in large quantities Its diameter is barely half the diameter of Reticulum II In the vast expanse of the cosmos we come across another small galactic treasure Leo IV one of the ultra-diffuse dwarf galaxies orbiting our Milky Way About 1 000 stars glow faintly witnesses to the slow rotation of a spherical dwarf galaxy Following the example of the previous analogy if the Milky Way with a diameter of 100 000 light-years Outside the size of a football field that measures approximately 100 meters en the Leo IV galaxy with a diameter of only 180 light-years It would be the size of a soccer ball with an 18-centimeter diameter In the constellation of Boötes 42 000 light-years away lies Boötes II One of the smallest and most enigmatic galaxies in the nearby universe With a diameter of only 150 light-years and between 1 000 and 5 000 stars It is so faint that it almost disappears in the galactic glow Bootes II was discovered in 2007 as part of a deep analysis Carried out by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey an ambitious project designed to map millions of celestial objects Since then this tiny galaxy has fascinated astronomers due to its unique characteristics and its relationship with our Milky Way Most of its stars are old with ages exceeding 12 billion years It makes it a living fossil from the early days of the universe These metal-poor stars suggest that Bootes II stopped forming new stars a long time ago possibly due to gravitational interactions with the Milky Way that stole its gas and halted its evolution Hidden in the winding constellation of the Dragon we find one of the smallest and most enigmatic galaxies Which orbit our Milky Way Draco II With an approximate diameter of 120 light-years it is half the size of Tucana II This tiny galaxy only contains between 1 000 and 3 000 stars It makes it one of the faintest and least populated galaxies we know Draco II was discovered in 2015 And since then this small galaxy has raised fascinating questions about the early stages of galactic formation and the nature of dark matter In the next position we find one of the smallest and most enigmatic galaxies ever discovered Seghe II Located about 75 000 light-years from Earth This tiny galaxy orbits in the outer edges of our Milky Way With a diameter of only 120 light-years and approximately 1 000 stars within it it is not only exceptionally small It is also one of the least luminous galaxies ever observed Although the visible stars make up only a small part of its mass Recent research has shown that most of its mass is composed of dark matter In fact Segue II is one of the galaxies with the highest known concentration of dark matter Turning it into an ideal natural laboratory for studying this mysterious substance Scientists have also proposed intriguing theories about the origin of Seghe II A hypothesis suggests that it could be the surviving core of a larger galaxy It was stripped of its gas and outer stars due to gravitational interactions with the Milky Way This process would have left Seghe II as a quiet dark stellar remnant floating intergalactic space Located about 120 000 light-years from the Milky Way Wilman I is an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy that has captured the attention of astronomers Due to its extremely small mass and sparse stellar population With a diameter of only 81 light-years It is one of the smallest galaxies ever discovered in the outskirts of our galaxy It has a sparse stellar population of about 2 500 stars However what makes it even more intriguing is its extremely low luminosity which makes it one of the darkest galaxies known It was discovered in 2004 in a study of faint objects near the Milky Way And since then it has been an enigma for astronomers If the Milky Way which is 100 000 light years in diameter larger than a passenger bus that is about 12 meters long Then Wilman I with a diameter of 81 light-years would be the size of a grain of rice about 8 millimeters long We have reached the second to last position The second place is occupied by a galaxy that was considered for a long time as the smallest We are talking about Seghe I With a diameter of only 60 light-years and around 300 stars This galaxy is the second smallest in the known universe It was identified in 2006 as part of a study by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and has since intrigued astronomers with its uniqueness This galaxy is so faint that for a long time it was thought not to be a galaxy is simply a weakly illuminated stellar group However subsequent studies revealed that it contains a significant amount of dark matter Much greater than the visible mass of its stars This places it at the center of studies on dark matter and its influence on small galactic structures Located about 75 000 light-years away on the outer edges of the Milky Way It appears that Seghe has been shaped by the gravitational forces of our galaxy This would explain its small size and limited number of stars If the Milky Way were the size of a 100-meter football field It would be about the size of a golf ball We have reached the number one position on this list to the tiniest corner of the known cosmos in terms of galaxies e enigmatic Ursa Mayor III or UMA III With a diameter of just 19.6 light-years and about 60 stars within it This galaxy discovered through meticulous analysis in 2005 is a testament to the incredibly diverse scale of the universe Its low brightness and faint glow make it a challenge even for today's most advanced telescopes If the Milky Way were the size of a football field this tiny galaxy would be the size of a marble And to make it more interesting if the largest galaxy in the universe Alcioneo which is 160 times larger than ours Outside the size of that 100-meter football field Ursa Mayor III would fit inside the eye of a one-millimeter-diameter needle Incredible how tiny isn't it Wait a moment For a sense of scale if we wanted to cross this galaxy from end to end with our current technology it would take the following amount of time At the speed of a supersonic jet traveling at 2 400 kilometers per hour It would take us 8.9 million years to cross Ursa Mayor III from one side to the other At the speed of sound 1.235 kilometers per hour It would take us more than 17.1 million years to cross it At the speed of a commercial airplane traveling at 900 kilometers per hour It would take 23.5 million years At the speed of a race car 300 kilometers per hour 70.5 million years At the speed of a car 100 kilometers per hour it would take us approximately 211 million years To cross Ursa Mayor III from side to side Although the smallest known galaxies may seem almost invisible in the grand cosmic scheme they are still incredibly vast When we compare them to the scale of our own planet it highlights the vastness and complexity of the universe The distance between the stars e vast stretches of empty space and the complexity of the gravitational forces that govern these systems Sometimes they become incomprehensible to our everyday perception These galaxies are not just an example of the small in the universe They also raise fascinating questions How can such a small galaxy maintain its cohesion Part of the answer may lie in dark matter an invisible component that likely makes up most of its mass acting as a gravitational glue We hope you have gained new knowledge from this documentary And may your fascination with the mysteries of the cosmos grow even more If you have enjoyed this content We invite you to support our work with a like and by subscribing to our channel to continue bringing you high-quality educational content Let us know your questions in the comments we will be delighted to hear your opinions and continue your journey of knowledge Only here at The Curious Español