Following the Tidal Trail: Understanding the Magellanic Stream

The Magellanic Stream is a vast trail of gas extending from the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way. This structure, formed through tidal and hydrodynamic forces during the galaxies' interactions with each other and the Milky Way, has been mapped using radio observations. The Stream's composition and motion suggest that it was stripped from the Clouds during their first encounter with the Milky Way. While much progress has been made in understanding the Stream, open questions remain about its origin, distance, and ionization processes, which future research will address.