Start Countdown: We Collide Head-on with Andromeda in Just 4 Billion Years
New results from NASA scientists working with Hubble’s data, suggests with more certainty that our Milky Way galaxy will collide with the Andromeda galaxy in another 4 billion years.
We have long known that our neighbor Andromeda galaxy is hurtling towards us, and will probably collide us in the future. But we were not sure, if the collision will be head-on or it will miss us. Also we were not sure about the timing and impacts of this event. With more data from Hubble, we are now able to predict the collision with more certainty.
Andromeda galaxy, also known as M31, is a nearby galaxy currently about 2.5 million light years away, and it is rushing towards us at roughly100 KM/s.
When the two galaxies initially collide after 4 billion years, they will probably pass right through each other. But gravity will slow them down, as they drew apart and eventually pull back into each other again. This time they will merge to create a bigger galaxy. Both, Milky Way and Andromeda are spiral galaxies, but after the collision they are likely to lose their spiral arms and end up being a huge elliptical galaxy. The process will take about another 2 billion years after the initial collision.
When the galaxies collide, there is very little possibility of the individual stars colliding with other stars, because individual stars are very far apart and there is lot of empty space between the stars. Although the stars’ orbit around the galaxy will change. Our sun, sitting near the edge of the galaxy, currently follow a circular path around milky way, and completes a orbit in around 200 million years. According to the models of this collision, the Sun will be thrown farther apart from the center and will likely to follow a elliptical path around the resulting galaxy.
The gas clouds in both the galaxies will collide with each other, collapsing to form new stars and planets. The stars will light up the gas clouds. I believe it will be a spectacular sight to whoever be there to witness the event.
Interestingly, the Sun and earth should still be there after 4-6 billion years. Though the Sun will use up all the hydrogen by then and become a red giant.
We have long known that our neighbor Andromeda galaxy is hurtling towards us, and will probably collide us in the future. But we were not sure, if the collision will be head-on or it will miss us. Also we were not sure about the timing and impacts of this event. With more data from Hubble, we are now able to predict the collision with more certainty.
Andromeda galaxy, also known as M31, is a nearby galaxy currently about 2.5 million light years away, and it is rushing towards us at roughly100 KM/s.
When the two galaxies initially collide after 4 billion years, they will probably pass right through each other. But gravity will slow them down, as they drew apart and eventually pull back into each other again. This time they will merge to create a bigger galaxy. Both, Milky Way and Andromeda are spiral galaxies, but after the collision they are likely to lose their spiral arms and end up being a huge elliptical galaxy. The process will take about another 2 billion years after the initial collision.
When the galaxies collide, there is very little possibility of the individual stars colliding with other stars, because individual stars are very far apart and there is lot of empty space between the stars. Although the stars’ orbit around the galaxy will change. Our sun, sitting near the edge of the galaxy, currently follow a circular path around milky way, and completes a orbit in around 200 million years. According to the models of this collision, the Sun will be thrown farther apart from the center and will likely to follow a elliptical path around the resulting galaxy.
The gas clouds in both the galaxies will collide with each other, collapsing to form new stars and planets. The stars will light up the gas clouds. I believe it will be a spectacular sight to whoever be there to witness the event.
Interestingly, the Sun and earth should still be there after 4-6 billion years. Though the Sun will use up all the hydrogen by then and become a red giant.
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