New study casts doubt on the likelihood of Milky Way collision with Andromeda

a year ago

New research challenges the long-held belief that the Milky Way will collide with Andromeda in 4.5 billion years.
Simulations using Hubble and Gaia data show only a 2% chance of collision in the next 5 billion years.
In half of the scenarios, the galaxies have a close encounter before merging; in others, they pass distantly.
If a collision occurs, it would likely happen in 7-8 billion years, forming an elliptical galaxy.
Gas funneling into a central black hole during a merger could create a 'cosmic firework' of radiation.
The study, led by Dr. Till Sawala, uses new data to explore a wider range of possibilities than before.
Future Gaia telescope data may provide more precise measurements of Andromeda's motion.
Co-author Carlos Frenk highlights the power of physics and supercomputers in simulating galaxy evolution.
The study is published in Nature Astronomy.

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