article_snippet: For the first time in a decade, astronomers have found dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way - an unprecedented nine in total.
article_snippet: Astronomers have found nine new dwarf galaxies in orbit around the Milky Way.
article_snippet: Dwarf galaxies are the smallest galaxy structures in the universe, and can contain as few as 5,000 stars - whereas the Milky Way has around 200 billion.
article_snippet: On the left in these images is Eridanus 2, in the middle is Pictoris 1 and on the right is Horologium 1 .
article_snippet: These dwarf galaxies are the first to be discovered after dozens were found in 2005 and 2006.
article_snippet: The closest of These dwarf galaxies is being torn apart by the Milky Way, while the most distant is about to start being pulled in towards us.
article_snippet: However, it should be noted that while three of the objects are definitely dwarf galaxies, some of the other six may actually be globular clusters.
article_snippet: three of the objects are definitely dwarf galaxies, some of the other six may actually be globular clusters are spherical collections of stars that are not thought to be held together by dark matter.
highlights_snippet: University of Cambridge astronomers have found new nine dwarf galaxies in orbit around the Milky Way .
  
highlights_snippet: There are nine in total, ranging in distance from 95,000 to 1.2 million light-years .
  