The Digital Press

Dwarf satellite galaxies around Milky Way-like hosts often form thin, planar structures influenced by their cosmic environment, especially the surrounding gas streams and filaments. These planes relate closely to the orientation and dynamics of nearby cosmic filaments and their flow patterns.

Why it matters: Understanding satellite planes reveals how large-scale cosmic structures shape galaxy formation in a ΛCDM universe.

The big picture: Two plane types exist—ultrathin planes orthogonal to filaments and planar systems aligned with filaments, shaped by cosmic flows.

Stunning stat: Between 30% and 70% of simulated Milky Way analogs host satellite planes comparable to observed systems.

The stakes: Misinterpreting satellite distributions could lead to incorrect conclusions about dark matter and cosmic structure formation.