I have a DVD that discusses the future of the earth. But they mention the Andromeda Galaxy is headed toward us and could destroy our galaxy. The DVD producers also mentioned that the exterior of the sun is slowly growing and could eventually engulf us. But they also mentioned a major black hole "dragon" that is eating up galaxies and stars around us.
What will happen. Which is coming first? Which is more probable?
Thanks you great minds.
2007-08-21 15:48:04 · 7 answers · asked by J C 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The Sun at 5/4 favourite.
Andromena 500/1 (but may not do anything anyway)
Black Hole 1000/1
The only other close one is the human race at 5/1
2007-08-21 15:55:13 · answer #1 · answered by Selfish Sachin 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The Sun. It will gradually get hotter so that in billion years or so it will boil away the oceans.
The Andromeda galaxy is headed this way, but it will take a long time to get here. And even when it does, it will not destroy our solar system. Galaxies are mostly empty space and the stars of Andromeda will just pass by the stars of the Milky Way without colliding. The shapes of both galaxies will be disrupted, and shock waves in the thin interstellar clouds will trigger new star formation, but the individual stars will not be affected much.
There is no major black hole dragon that I ever heard of. I really don't know where that idea even came from. Black holes are no more dangerous than large stars or star clusters. The strange relativistic effects do not occur until extremely close distances; at distances comparable to the distances between stars in the Sun's part of the galaxy the effects are totally normal, just like the black hole was a very large star.
2007-08-21 16:09:18 · answer #2 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Our Milky Way galaxy will merge with Andromeda in 3 billion years but such mergers do not destroy stars because of the space between the stars. There may be some major gravitational disturbances that will change orbital paths of the stars. But generally no collisions.
Our Sun is about halfway through it's 10 billion year life cycle. In about 5 billion years it will become a Red Giant and probably expand it's diameter through Venus but Earth should be spared (even though it will of course be severely cooked). When I say spared, I mean the physical planet not life. Then the Sun will continue it's life cycle and become a white dwarf.
Your concept of black holes is exagerated. A black hole is a collapsed star. As such it continues to have the same gravitational pull as the star did before it collapsed. Black holes are not out there sucking up the universe. As far as we know, massive black holes only exist in the center of galaxies. This is because of the close proximity of stars in the center of a galaxy which allows a few or several black holes to merge. Even those massive black holes are not sucking up their galaxies. The other stars in the galaxy just continue to orbit the galactic center. Black holes can only trap matter which is within it's event horizon. So it would be a monumental waste of time worrying about some fictitious dragon out there coming to get you.
2007-08-21 16:12:11 · answer #3 · answered by Troasa 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way are approaching each other, but that doesn't mean anything at all will happen to our system. The amount of empty space between the stars in each galaxy means there is plenty of room for everyone to move around.
The closest black hole is about 25,000 light years from Earth, in the centre of the galaxy. It isn't going anywhere, and we're orbiting the centre so we aren't getting closer.
The sun expanding into a red giant starting in about 2 billion years (when it gets too hot for liquid water) will be what ends the Earth.
2007-08-21 15:55:10 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
It took some 5 billion years for the solar system to evolve to where we are now in the outer arms of a galaxy.
By the time the sun expands to engulf the earth [4 billion years] the solar system will be close to the galactic center which will be close to the maximum life span of our milky way.
the engine that drives the galactic center will annihilate us long before the sun will.
2007-08-22 02:19:49 · answer #5 · answered by Billy Butthead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
None of the above.
2007-08-21 15:53:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
None, we will destroy ourselves long before those do.
2007-08-21 15:55:31 · answer #7 · answered by booboo 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋