Crater II: A Ghostly Galaxy Losing Its Grip

Crater II is a faint Milky Way satellite that is clearly being torn apart by tidal forces. Using deep DECam imaging, Vivas et al. mapped 46 variable stars and uncovered long stellar tails stretching nearly 10° across the sky. These stars show a strong distance gradient, confirming that Cra II is losing mass as its stars are stripped away. The study strengthens the view that Cra II is in an advanced stage of tidal disruption.