Are galaxies being formed all the time?

Question

Is there a set number of galaxies or are they being constanly formed?

Answer 1

Maybe. Since the universe is huge. Yeah, pretty much.

Answer 2

If you mean "formed from scratch" then the answer is no. One of the prevailing concepts supporting the Big Bang theory is that, as we peer deeper into the universe (and thus further back in time), we should see galaxies that are increasingly less structured. Our observations with telescopes confirm this idea - the further away you look, the simpler galaxies appear.

For example, Quasars are thought to be an example of an early type of galaxy. If galaxies were still forming everywhere then we would see them everywhere, but in fact the nearest Quasars are still billions of light years away.

This is not to say that galaxies are not "evolving" - we see galaxies colliding all the time. Our own galaxy has probably absorbed a large number of smaller galaxies since its formation, and continues to do so today.

Answer 3

It's believed that most of galaxy formation has ceased. Whatever matter there is in the universe it has managed to coalesce into some sort of structure. Galaxies do, in fact, collides and form bigger galaxies, but this can hardly be considered "rebirth" as it tends to strip the galaxy of new star forming material, the stuff that makes galaxies look "blue" which is the color of new stars and star formation.

As far as the black hole accumulating new stars, I find this to be suspect, as the distance between galaxies is usually fairly large, and the matter is not dense enough to form singular stars out in the middle of nowhere. This may appear to happen because a relatively old supermassive black hole from an old galaxy is colliding and merging with a sparse galactic cluster, but this is as far as I'm willing to theorize.

Good question though.

Answer 4

galactic formation has probably slowed way down, maybe to a stopping point. I think all the stars there are have been captured into galaxies; and now, we're seeing galaxies falling into each other & forming super-galaxies.

The Milkyway will be merged with the Andromeda galaxy in a few billion years, in fact.

Answer 5

Some of the latest deep-space observations using Hubble and large ground-based observitories show new galaxies being formed out of collisions with other galaxies, and out of "scratch" (a massive black hole being formed and attracting a galaxy worth of stars, etc.)

Granted: what is observed happened eons ago, and it is hard to say for absolute certainty if it is *still* happening right now, but it can be theorized based on current observation.

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Answer 6

Yes, galaxies are being form all the time equally they are growing in size.

Answer 7

Some are being formed and some are dying. With such a large expanse the only thing scientists can say is that there is change.