Andromeda - the galaxy closest to the Milky Way. The Milky Way and Andromeda Collision

Andromeda is a galaxy, also known as M31 and NGC224. This spiral formation, located at a distance of about 780 kp (2.5 million light-years) from the Earth.

Andromeda is a galaxy closest to the Milky Way. It is named after the homonymous mythical princess. Observations of 2006 made it possible to conclude that there are about a trillion stars here - at least twice as many as in the Milky Way where there are about 200-400 billion. Scientists believe that the collision of the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy will happen about 3, 75 billion years, and as a result will be formed a giant elliptical or disk galaxy. But more on that later. First we find out what the "mythical princess" looks like.

The picture shows Andromeda. The galaxy has blue and white stripes. They form rings around it and cover hot hot gigantic stars. Dark blue-gray stripes contrast sharply against the background of these bright rings and show areas where star formation in the dense cloud cocoons is just beginning. When observed in the visible part of the spectrum of the Andromeda ring, it is more like spiral arms. In the ultraviolet range, these formations are more like ring structures. They were previously detected by the NASA telescope. Astronomers believe that these rings indicate the formation of the galaxy as a result of a collision with the neighboring more than 200 million years ago.

Satellites Andromeda

Like the Milky Way, Andromeda has a number of dwarf satellites, 14 of which have already been detected. The most famous are M32 and M110. Of course, it is unlikely that the stars of each of the galaxies will collide with each other, since the distances between them are very large. As to what will actually happen, scientists have so far rather vague ideas. But already invented for the future newborn name. Mlomed - so they call the unborn giant science of the galaxy.

Collision of stars

Andromeda is a galaxy with 1 trillion stars (10 ¹² ), and the Milky Way is 1 billion (3 * 10 ¹¹ ). However, the chance of a collision of celestial bodies is negligible, since there is a huge distance between them. For example, the closest Proxima Centauri star to the Sun is 4.2 light years away (4 * 10 ¹³ km), or 30 million (3 * 10 ⁷ ) of the Sun's diameter. Imagine that our luminary is a ball for playing table tennis. Then Proxima Centauri will look like a pea, located at a distance of 1100 km from it, and the Milky Way itself extends for 30 million km. Even the stars in the center of the galaxy (namely, their largest cluster) are located at intervals of 160 billion (1.6 * 10 ¹¹ ) km. It's like one table tennis ball for every 3.2 km. Therefore, the chance that any two stars will collide with the confluence of galaxies is extremely small.

The collision of black holes

The Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way have central supermassive black holes: Sagittarius A (3,6 * 10 ⁶ solar masses) and an object inside the P2 cluster of the Galactic core. These black holes converge at one point near the center of the newly formed galaxy, transferring the orbital energy to the stars, which eventually will shift to higher trajectories. The above process can take millions of years. When black holes approach a distance of one light year from each other, they will start emitting gravitational waves. Orbital energy will become even more powerful, until the merger is complete. Based on modeling data carried out in 2006, the Earth can first be thrown almost to the very center of the newly formed galaxy, then it will pass about one of the black holes and will be erupted outside Mlomedes.

Confirmations of the theory

The Andromeda galaxy is approaching us at a speed of about 110 km per second. Until 2012, there were no ways to know if a collision would occur. To conclude that it is almost inevitable, the scientists were helped by the Hubble Space Telescope. After tracking the movement of Andromeda from 2002 to 2010, it was concluded that the collision would happen in about 4 billion years.

Such phenomena are widespread in space. For example, it is believed that Andromeda in the past interacted with at least one galaxy. And some dwarf galaxies, such as SagDEG, and now continue to face the Milky Way, creating a unified education.

Studies also show that M33, or the Galaxy of the Triangle, is the third-largest and brightest representative of the Local Group - will also participate in this event. The most likely fate will be the entry into orbit of the object formed after the merger, and in the distant future the final unification. However, the collision of the M33 with the Milky Way earlier than the approach of Andromeda, or our Solar System will be thrown out of the Local Group, is excluded.

The Fate of the Solar System

Scientists from Harvard argue that the timing of the unification of galaxies will depend on the tangential velocity of Andromeda. Based on the calculations, we concluded that there is a 50% chance that at the confluence the Solar System will be thrown back at a distance three times the current to the center of the Milky Way. It is not exactly known how the Andromeda galaxy will behave. The planet Earth is also under threat. Scientists say about 12% probability that we will be thrown out of the territory of our former "home" some time after the collision. But this event, most likely, will not produce strong adverse effects on the Solar System, and the celestial bodies will not be destroyed.

If we exclude planetary engineering, then by the time of the collision of galaxies, the Earth's surface will strongly heat up and there will be no water in the liquid state, and hence, of life.

Possible side effects

When two spiral galaxies are combined, the hydrogen present on their disks is compressed. The intensive formation of new stars begins. For example, it can be observed in the interacting galaxy NGC 4039, otherwise known as "Antennas". In the case of the merger of Andromeda and the Milky Way, it is believed that the gas on their disks will remain small. Star formation will not be so intense, although the birth of a quasar is likely.

The result of the merger

The galaxy formed at the confluence, scientists previously called Mlomed. The simulation result shows that the resulting object will be elliptical in shape. Its center will have a smaller density of stars than modern elliptical galaxies. But the disk form is also likely. Much will depend on how much gas will remain within the Milky Way and Andromeda. In the near future, the remaining galaxies of the Local Group will merge into one object, and this will mean the beginning of a new evolutionary stage.

Facts about Andromeda

• Andromeda is the largest Galaxy in the Local Group. But probably not the most massive. Scientists suggest that more dark matter is concentrated in the Milky Way , and this is what makes our galaxy more massive.
• Scientists research Andromeda in order to understand the origin and evolution of similar formations, because this is the closest spiral galaxy to us.
• Andromeda from the Earth looks amazing. Many even manage to photograph it.
• Andromeda has a very dense galactic core. Not only are the huge stars located in its center, but also at least one supermassive black hole, hidden in the core.
• Its spiral arms were curved as a result of gravitational interaction with two neighboring galaxies: M32 and M110.
• Inside the Andromeda, there are at least 450 globular star clusters. Among them - one of the densest, which could be found.
• The Andromeda Galaxy is the most remote object that can be seen with the naked eye. You will need a good view and a minimum of bright light.

In conclusion, I would like to advise readers to raise their eyes more often at the starry sky. It stores a lot of new and unexplored. Find some free time to watch the space on the weekend. Galaxy Andromeda in the sky - a sight that is definitely worth seeing.