The Collision of Galaxies

The merging of the Milky Way and Andromeda raises intriguing questions about its implications for humanity. Edwin Hubble's groundbreaking discoveries have revealed that the universe is in a state of expansion. This phenomenon is evidenced by the movement of galaxies, which are generally receding from ours—except for Andromeda and a few dwarf galaxies in the Local Group.

As scientists analyze the dynamics of our galaxy and Andromeda, they find that these two massive galaxies are currently closing in on each other at a velocity of approximately 120 km/s. Given that they are separated by around 3.5 million light-years, estimates suggest that this merger will commence in about 4 billion years and continue for an additional 2 to 2.5 billion years. While this timeframe is vast by human standards, it is relatively short within the cosmic context.

Many speculate that such a colossal collision could trigger catastrophic events; however, the reality is more nuanced. To grasp the repercussions of this galactic interaction, it is essential to examine what constitutes a galaxy.

The bulk of a galaxy's mass is comprised not of stars or interstellar gas, but rather of dark matter, which interacts gravitationally without colliding. Consequently, the volume occupied by stars is minute in relation to the overall size of the galaxy. This leads to the conclusion that the odds of a galaxy collision significantly impacting the internal dynamics of any planetary system are exceedingly low; the gravitational pull of the parent stars will largely prevent close encounters.

Nonetheless, the merger may influence the parent stars themselves. In this scenario, it's possible that planetary systems, along with their stars, could be ejected from the newly formed galaxy. While this may not drastically alter the systems' intrinsic characteristics, their fates will be more closely tied to the evolution of their parent stars.

Thus, regardless of where humanity finds itself at the time of this galactic collision, it is unlikely to face dire consequences. The shifting arrangement of stars may complicate space travel, but the direct impact on life will be minimal. This is a visualization of how Andromeda may appear in 3.5 billion years:

As an intriguing aside, while Andromeda is currently observable under optimal conditions, in a few billion years, our night sky will be largely dominated by the sight of this approaching galaxy. However, by that time, Earth will likely be uninhabited, and our descendants may witness this cosmic event from entirely different worlds.

If you’re eager to delve deeper into the mysteries of space, give us a clap! Be sure to subscribe to our channel and feel free to submit any questions; I will address them in future articles.

Chapter 2: Understanding the Cosmic Collision

This video, titled "What Will Happen When The Milky Way Collides With The Andromeda Galaxy?", explores the future implications of this monumental event.

The second video, "How Would We Survive If the Milky Way Collided with Andromeda?", discusses potential survival scenarios during this galactic merger.