BriefTea
Every story in sixty words
Get the free app no ads · no paywallExplained in plain English
When did the universe begin?
The story mentions the merger happened before the universe reached 15% of its present age. This gives us a sense of the vast timeline involved. Scientists estimate the universe is about 13.8 billion years old, meaning this event occurred roughly 11.8 billion years ago, relatively early in cosmic history.
Stories that explain this
Milky Way devoured a smaller galaxy 11.8 billion years ago, say scientistsRelated explainers
What is a galactic merger? How do galaxies grow? Where did Black History Month begin? When did China tensions begin? What was the early universe like? When did the Nations League begin? How do telescopes map the universe?The full catalogue
Browse every card filed under U →We would like to count visits and see which links bring readers here. That means storing a random ID in your browser. No cookies, no ads, no profile. How it works.