abstract:The Monoceros Ring is a long, complex, ringlike filament of stars that wraps around the Milky Way galaxy three times. This is proposed to consist of a stellar stream torn from the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy by tidal forces as part of the process of merging with the Milky Way over a period of billions of years, although this view has long been disputed (see Dispute section) The ring contains 100 million solar masses and is 200,000 light years long.