In a discussion with my fiance we were discussing the stars and how everything is constantly moving he says that one day the milky way will collide and the two will become one. Is this even remotely possible?
2007-09-08 18:58:10 · 13 answers · asked by fierce.tigress 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Yes. Collisions between galaxies is quite common in our Universe. In a collision between galaxies, the result is an elliptical galaxy. During a collision, it is likely that NONE of the stars in either galaxy will actually collide so it would be more properly termed a merger. It is often talked about that the Milky Way will merge with Andromeda in about 2 billion years and completing the merger in about 5 billion years.
This is a big event but people are often unaware that the Milky Way has merged with smaller dwarf galaxies in the past. And in fact, it is merging with one right now. There are also 8 other dwarf galaxies around the Milky Way that we will merge with. Contrary to any doomsday scenario, the mergers only result in friction between gases which create shock waves leading to the creation of new stars. The only result of our merger with Andromeda will be an elliptical galaxy instead of a spiral one.
Emptywun's answer is completely incorrect and is not based upon scientific research.
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=3841
http://burro.cwru.edu/JavaLab/GalCrashWeb/mmerger.html
2007-09-08 19:18:19 · answer #1 · answered by Troasa 7 · 6⤊ 1⤋
Collisions between galaxies are relatively common. This website even has a photograph of such an event ==>http://www.noao.edu/outreach/press/pr05/images/mergers.jpg
Currently our Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy are on a collision course, closing with each other at about 300 km/sec. Not to worry though, Andromeda is still some 2.5-million light years away.
Many astronomers think that spiral shape of galaxies like our own Milky Way results from galactic collisions.
2007-09-09 02:42:48 · answer #2 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, we do know that the Milky Way is on a collision course with another galaxy...but it will also be a while before it gets here. Current speculation is that the two will mostly pass through each other, due to the vast distances between individual stars in each galaxy. There will of course be some interactions, maybe even a direct star-on-star collision or two thrown in for fun...but I wouldn't plan on the two galaxies becoming one.
The biggest mystery is what will happen when the centers of the respective galaxies near each other. If there is indeed a super-massive black hole at the center of each galaxy...what happens when they get too close to each other? They might miss each other, they might collide, or they might begin orbiting each other....lets hope they miss.
2007-09-09 02:12:11 · answer #3 · answered by ? 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
galactic mergers happen quite often. they are not really 'collisions' though, because galaxies are more like gas than solid - the distance between stars is so large that only a tiny minority of star systems would be disturbed by a merger. the milky way and andromeda appear to be on course for a merger in a billion years or so.
2007-09-09 02:16:25 · answer #4 · answered by vorenhutz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it is said that the Andromeda Galaxy, the closest galaxy to us will eventually collide. Don't worry, it'll happen in millions of years time, we'd be long gone. The Tadpole Galaxy is said to have been caused by a collision of two galaxies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadpole_Galaxy
2007-09-09 07:55:27 · answer #5 · answered by John_UG 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The theory I heard was that the gravitational pull of a larger galaxy could cause a huge collision between the two and the two would become one huge gaseous galaxy. All rearranged of course.
2007-09-09 02:23:28 · answer #6 · answered by Pamela S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look it up, I was watching a discovery channel documentary and one day (not any time soon) we are going to collide with a nearby galaxy, they will rip each other a part the black holes will combine and it will reform again.
2007-09-09 09:03:19 · answer #7 · answered by geteazymoney 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes..thats very very possible..(not to milky way..but in general)
actually we have quite a few galaxies merging right now..
it will take billions of years for 2 galaxies to merge and form a supergalaxy..
check out this link
http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect20/A4.html
2007-09-09 03:28:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. I recently saw a show at the Hayden Planetarium/Rose Center for Earth and Space (American Museum of Natural History) on this very subject. See the link below.
2007-09-09 02:06:06 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is. As I answer your question the Andromeda galaxy is moving towards us at 144 miles per second.
2007-09-09 11:58:27 · answer #10 · answered by Derchin 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋