How has India's ASTROSAT space telescope contributed to our understanding of dwarf galaxy formation and evolution?

India's ASTROSAT, the country's first multi-wavelength space telescope, has made groundbreaking discoveries about dwarf galaxy formation using its Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT). Led by astronomer Anshuman Borgohain from Tezpur University, researchers analyzed 17 hours of ASTROSAT data and observed star-forming complexes on the outskirts of dwarf galaxies, finding evidence of material movement from outer edges toward the center in 11 dwarf galaxies. The study reveals that young, large star-forming clumps form on the periphery of these galaxies and spiral inward within a billion-year timescale, contributing to galaxy growth. This research is particularly significant because dwarf galaxies' diverse physical properties challenge current theoretical models of galaxy evolution, and ASTROSAT's resolving power and deep field imaging capabilities have enabled scientists to witness the live formation of these distant galaxies.