Simulations suggest the Milky Way began as thousands of galaxies

New simulations indicate that the region that became the Milky Way was once a collection of thousands of smaller galaxies — some forming stars rapidly, others filled only with gas or littered with dead stars and black holes.

• The future Milky Way region was a collection of thousands of small galaxies
• Some were actively forming stars, others held only gas
• Others contained dead stars and black holes