Andromeda And The Milky Way Might Collide Sooner Than We Think

Universe Today via io9 ^ | May 16, 2015 | Bob King

[ETL]

The merger of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy won’t happen for another 4 billion years, but the recent discovery of a massive halo of hot gas around Andromeda may mean our galaxies are already touching.

Andromeda’s halo is gargantuan. Extending for at least 2 million light years, if we could see in our night sky it would be 100 times the diameter of the Moon or 50 degrees across! [the entire sky, from horizon to horizon, is approx 180 deg -ETL] Credit: NASA

University of Notre Dame astrophysicist Nicholas Lehner led a team of scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope to identify an enormous halo of hot, ionized gas at least 2 million light years in diameter surrounding the galaxy.

The Andromeda Galaxy is the largest member of a ragtag collection of some 54 galaxies, including the Milky Way, called the Local Group. With a trillion stars — twice as many as the Milky Way — it shines 25% brighter and can easily be seen with the naked eye from suburban and rural skies.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

See, so there is still time for the Marxists to finally get it right.

4 billion years later:

"Well, we just don't have the right people running it in those countries!"

[IYAS9YAS]

We’re doomed. Screw it, I ain’t pullin’ the weeds.

[C210N]

It could miss us on either side with considerable margin.

Actually, no. The collective attractions of each galaxy to each other insures there will be a "collision" of at least some sort. There are good youtube's showing the likely interaction based on views of other galaxies colliding. They attract each other, merge, out-merge, in-merge again, and so on about 3 or 4 times, and then a new single galaxy is formed - you wouldn't even know it was at one time 2.

[GreenHornet]

The merger of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy won’t happen for another 4 billion years

It'll be here before you know it.

[JPG]

Yes, who or whatever “we” are in 4 or so billion years from now.

4 Billion Years from now? I'll have to get back to you then....morning or afternoon best for you?

[ETL]

Don’t wait til the last moment to prepare. I ran down to Home Debut this morn and picked up some necessary supplies.

[ETL]

...boarding up the windows now!

[left that other site]

Aw...Ya beat me to it!

[MeshugeMikey]

Galaxies touching galaxies..

Now that’s touching.

[MeshugeMikey]

is it a gay galaxy?.../

[Erik Latranyi]

This will require massive government programs to prepare for this disaster.

Firearms must be confiscated, businesses must be nationalized and all wealth must be transferred to those who know how to prepare for galactic collisions!!!!

[Billthedrill]

My brother collided with a Galaxy one time. I think it was a ‘59.

[ETL]

Galaxy collision

[Rockingham]

Well, that means there is no point in mowing the lawn this weekend.

[ETL]

Found some awesome Ford Galaxies while searching for that photo of a wrecked one.

Check them out here if interested (Yahoo images):

https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVj8Q01dVqFwAKxUnnIlQ?p=ford+galaxy+collision&fr=ytff1-tyc-sc&fr2=piv-web&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-002&type=

[ETL]

...may have to scroll down the page some.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks ETL, extra to APoD.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3287965/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3235249/posts

[ETL]

You’re welcome, SC. Glad you and your 1,000 closest friends made it here. :)

[KarlInOhio]

but the recent discovery of a massive halo of hot gas around Andromeda may mean our galaxies are already touching.

Time to draw a line in the back seat. "Mom, Andromeda is touching me!"

[ETL]

I see no problem with them ‘touching’ each other. They are of legal age. 12 or so BILLION years! :)