Small Galaxy Punches Hole In Andromeda

space.com ^ | 10/17/05 | Ker Then

[KevinDavis]

Sometime in the distant past, the dwarf galaxy M32 hurled itself at its much larger neighbor Andromeda, delivering an explosive uppercut punch that left a jagged hole nearly 10,000 light-years across in Andromeda's plane of stars, one that millions of years later has yet to fully heal.

New infrared images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope recently revealed the hole, which is hidden to optical telescopes behind Andromeda's veils of cosmic dust and gas.

The Spitzer images also revealed other features of Andromeda that have never been seen before, including bright, new stars and spiral arcs swirling out from the galaxy's center.

[KevinDavis]

Great now Bush caused the death and destruction of countless civilizations caused he did nothing to prevent from the galaxies colliding...

[KevinDavis]

[Termite_Commander]

I'm pretty sure Andromeda and the Milky Way are supposed to collide as some point in the future. Far in the future.

By the way, who named the Milky Way? Really, what kinda name is that? Andromeda sounds much cooler. =P

[fizziwig]

"the dwarf galaxy M32"

Ahem.....the Gnome galaxy M32.

[Termite_Commander]

While I'm here, any chance I could get on that nifty ping list?

[JamminJAY]

Whoa.

[KevinDavis]

I agree with you about the name of our galaxy... Milky Way sucks... Andromeda is a cool name...

[flashbunny]

" By the way, who named the Milky Way?"

I hear M&M / Mars bought the naming rights for our galaxy about 100 years ago...

[America's Resolve]

In fact, Andromeda will collide with our own Milky Way Galaxy in about 3 billion years.

So we don't have to worry about the sun going nova in 5 billion years? Hmmmm.

Something don't compute right here.

[ClearCase_guy]

Galaxias Kyklos -- Milky Circle

Via Lactea -- Milky Way

The names are old.

[NormsRevenge]

When galaxies collide. :)

[Bullfrogg]

add me to your ping list

Thanks

Bullfrog

[P.O.E.]

Maybe they should rename M32 "Gorgon"

[claptrap]

Where is FEMA when you need them? Maybe Bush could send some troops there to make himself feel better, Im positive
hes the only one in our galaxy who gives a rats rear end.
If it were up to me Id tell every stinking galaxy you are on your own, and dont try sending any kruddy guest workers here either!

[KevinDavis]

The big question, how much is it going to cost us???

[benjaminjjones]

Post #15 pretty much says it all. In a Zen kinda way :^)

[burzum]

So we don't have to worry about the sun going nova in 5 billion years? Hmmmm. Something don't compute right here.

It might be best for you to think of a galaxy as a gas that has no internal pressure that is held together by gravity. When another gas of the same type tries to pass through, it is not necessarily going to cause collisions (because that would imply that either gas had an internal pressure). It will, however, alter the gravitational forces that control these galaxies. Stars will move in different paths, and in certain areas the density of the stars will increase or decrease. It is unlikely that our Sun will be physically battered. It will more likely follow a slightly different path each time it orbits our galaxy. Since it is estimated that our Sun takes about 250 million years to complete an orbit, and this galactic collision which will occur in about 3 billion years will probably take about a billion years from beginning to end, the big question is where our Sun will end up once it is done. Will we be citizens of the Milky Way Galaxy? Will we have a lot more or a lot less stars nearby?

[null and void]

[EsmeraldaA]

We most definitely needed the graphic nully. :0))