Scientists were amazed after capturing a massive galaxy that is gobbling up stars from other galaxies using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope.

It’s the first time scientists have found direct evidence of a galaxy acting like a cannibal, and the Very Large Telescope was able to capture proof of such behavior, according to a UPI report.

Scientists have suspected that galaxies are capable of this — after all, how else would a large galaxy grow but to absorb a smaller galaxy — but it’s been tough to find direct evidence of it.

Astronomers were able to spot it by looking for the after effects of accretion, and they found it in the giant elliptical galaxy Messier 87.

Using the powerful telescope, they were able to watch the movement of planetary nebulae that surrounds aging stars, and found a recent impact that happened within the last billion years. This suggests to scientists that a medium sized galaxy was sucked into the center of Messier 87. As a result, the stars are now scattered over a massive area — about 100 times the size of the original galaxy, scientists believe according to the report.

Other signs of such a consumption of another galaxy includes recently swallowed stars, particularly younger and brighter stars.

To find these stars scattered across such a massive area was an exciting find for the scientists, especially since they could also still see that they stuck to a common structure they had before the merger.

The findings were published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.