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These galaxy images illustrate 3 possible encounter scenarios between our Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy. 1. In the top left panel, a wide-field Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) image showing galaxies M81 and M82 serves as an example of the Milky Way and Andromeda passing each other at large distances. 2. The top right panel shows NGC 6786, a pair of interacting galaxies displaying the telltale signs of tidal disturbances after a close encounter. 3. The bottom panel shows NGC 520, a cosmic train wreck as two galaxies are actively merging together. Science: NASA, ESA, STScI, DSS, Till Sawala (University of Helsinki) Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

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These galaxy images illustrate 3 possible encounter scenarios between our Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy. 1. In the top left panel, a wide-field Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) image showing galaxies M81 and M82 serves as an example of the Milky Way and Andromeda passing each other at large distances. 2. The top right panel shows NGC 6786, a pair of interacting galaxies displaying the telltale signs of tidal disturbances after a close encounter. 3. The bottom panel shows NGC 520, a cosmic train wreck as two galaxies are actively merging together. Science: NASA, ESA, STScI, DSS, Till Sawala (University of Helsinki) Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
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AkaSci 🛰️ (akasci@fosstodon.org)'s status on Tuesday, 03-Jun-2025 11:37:11 JST AkaSci 🛰️

A new study, based on data from Hubble and ESA’s Gaia space telescope, has re-examined the long-held prediction of a collision and merger between the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy in ~5 billion years.
By accounting for uncertainties in existing measurements and including the gravitational influence of other nearby galaxies (the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Triangulum Galaxy), researchers found the probability of a merger in the next 10 billion years is ~50%.
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https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/apocalypse-when-hubble-casts-doubt-on-certainty-of-galactic-collision/
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