Cape Canaveral, Florida (AP) – It appears that the anticipated clash between us Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy may not occur after all.
Astronomers revealed two potential scenarios on Monday regarding Spiral Galaxy collisions that had not been previously considered. There is now a 50-50 chance this will happen within the next 10 billion years. Essentially, it’s a toss-up, but the odds are improved compared to prior estimates, and it’s a long way off.
“As things stand, a declaration of an imminent end for our galaxy is not forthcoming,” wrote the Finland-led team in research published in Nature Astronomy.
This is good news for the Milky Way, but the latest predictions may not reach humanity.
“We likely won’t be around to see the outcomes,” Sawara from the University of Helsinki said in an email.
Having been more than 4.5 billion years since its formation, the sun is expected to exhaust its energy in another 5 billion years. However, it will expand and possibly consume Mercury, Venus, and perhaps Earth. Even if it doesn’t engulf Earth, our planet will be left as a scorched remnant.
Sawara’s international team utilized the latest findings from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft to simulate what might lie ahead for the Milky Way and its neighboring Andromeda. Both galaxies have collided with others in the distant past, and many believed a direct impact was unavoidable.
Previous theories suggested that their collision would create a new elliptical galaxy dubbed “Milkomeda,” which seemed unavoidable. Some predictions indicated this might happen within 5 billion years, but not anytime soon.
In this new study, scientists employed updated galactic measurements to analyze the interactions and movements of the Milky Way in space. They discovered that the influence of nearby triangular galaxies increased the likelihood of a merger between the Milky Way and Andromeda, while the Large Magellanic Cloud diminished those chances.
Despite ongoing uncertainty about the position, movement, and mass of these galaxies, scientists have established a 50-50 chance of collisions occurring within the next 10 billion years.
“The fate of our Milky Way galaxy fascinates not only astronomers,” noted Raja Guhatakurta from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
He remarked that a full collision would transform our galaxy from a disc of stars, visible as a milky band of diffuse light in the sky, into a more cohesive mass. A close encounter between the two galaxies could leave our star disc intact, preserving the galaxy’s name.
Researchers emphasize the need for further studies to accurately predict the fate of the Milky Way. More insights should enhance scientists’ understanding of galactic dynamics in the universe.
The future of our galaxy remains uncertain, but according to Sawara, the Sun’s fate is “well-defined.” “Of course, it’s also crucial that humanity could bring about its own end before that happens, without needing astrophysical forces.”
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Source: apnews.com