LINK Astronomers have found the edge of the Milky Way at last | Science News
Our galaxy spans 1.9 million light-years, a new study finds.
Question: What do you suppose will happen when Andromeda and the Milky Way collide?
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2 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.How is knowing this distance useful ? I think the collision of two galaxies will be an immense dance of heavenly bodies, gravity, and energy. Choppy waves.
TO_BY
Level 7
Nov 5, 2020
0
The inner Milky Way disk that measures about 120,000 light years is packed with many stars. Outside that is first a disk (or donut) of gas, and outside the gas disk is another disk filled mainly with dark matter. The gas and dark matter disks make up most of the 1.9 light years in the Milky Way. Theoretically, gas and dark matter would not collide violently like stars and black holes would.
All the action will be at the centers of the galaxies, Sag A will collide with the super massive black hole of Andromeda. Many stars will be shredded nearer the core, some will be thrown into void. Out here at the fringe, not much really. The space between stars is huge, there won't be much Though the the constellations will disappear as we know them..that all depends on If humans still exist of course..
Charlene
Level 9
Nov 5, 2020
2
Thanks. I vaguely recollected something on colliding galaxies. How you describe the collision reminds me of why the center will be violent and the outer regions rather uneventful by comparison.
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