Our Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy are gravitationally bound and will collide in about 4 billion years. Because stars are so far apart in a galaxy, many light years, the term « collision » really means interleave and gravitationally interact. Still, it will light up our sky. NASA has done a simulation to show us what it will look like. That is, if anyone is around to watch!
Check It Out: What the Sky Will Look Like When We Collide With Andromeda Galaxy
Great, but if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is invaluable:
https://gizmodo.com/good-news-the-milky-way-may-not-be-devoured-by-androme-1823080163
What will happen when our Galaxy collides with Andromeda?
https://io9.gizmodo.com/what-will-happen-when-our-galaxy-collides-with-andromed-509841869
Merry Christmas to all!
John:
Curious. I was just talking about this with my wife today, and how 1 billion years later, our own sun will balloon into a red giant, likely engulfing the earth, by which time our race will (hopefully but likely) have emigrated across the solar system and nearby cosmos. The topic arose around the topic of impermanence, and how this imposes change or death upon all things, along with all the opportunity such change brings, if we so chose to avail ourselves.
Given humanity’s will to live and thrive, I’m betting on billions being around to see the galactic merger.