Astronomers have discovered a tiny, ghostly galaxy in a remote corner of the universe, likely a cosmic castaway flung from its original galactic group billions of years ago and left to wander in near-total isolation.

The discovery provides rare observational evidence that some galaxies now found in isolation may actually be survivors of violent ejections from dense galactic groups. Shaped by dramatic interactions in crowded, turbulent environments billions of years ago, these galaxies suggest a galaxy's present-day location may not reveal its full history, astronomers say.

The newfound galaxy, named SDSS J011754.86+095819.0, or dE01+09, appears to be one such "runaway" system. Galaxies like dE01+09, which are small, faint and no longer forming stars, are typically found in dense galaxy c

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