ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Willman 1

Okay, so let's imagine you are playing with a big toy that is made out of lots of tinier toys stuck together, kind of like a big puzzle. Each tiny toy has a name, and they all work together to make the big toy move and do cool things.

Now, imagine that scientists have found a big toy like this actually floating in space! It's called Willman 1, and it's made up of millions and billions of tiny stars stuck together. Each star has a special name and role, just like the toys in your big toy.

But here's the really cool thing: Willman 1 is what we call a dwarf galaxy. That means it is much smaller than other galaxies, like the Milky Way that we live in. It's kind of like a tiny ant crawling around on a giant playground.

Scientists have studied Willman 1 to learn more about how galaxies work and how they form. They've found that even though it's small, it still has some pretty interesting features, like a really weird shape that looks like an egg or a football. They've also found that the stars in Willman 1 are different from the stars in our Milky Way, which is pretty cool!

So, Willman 1 may just be a tiny toy floating in space, but it's helping scientists learn more about the amazing universe we live in!