Impossible Thought: Galaxy Traveling at Light Speed, Milky Way Merging/Ripping

[AncientBrit]

If another galaxy were to be traveling towards us at the speed of light and as well as the Milky Way being ripped apart or merged, our planet were to suffer a direct hit, we would never know about it! Gone in an instant!

Also, we would not know, or do not know, of the existence of such a galaxy because of its speed.

So, if this does not appear on this forum, it's already happened and none of us are here!

 

[zhermes]

Hi AncientBrit; welcome to PhysicsForums.
Please consult the rules, specifically the section on Overly Speculative Posts.

No massive objects can travel at the speed of light---especially a galaxy. The relative velocities between galaxies tends to be fairly moderate---generally 100's of km/s---and far below the speed of light.

 

[Cosmo Novice]

If another galaxy were to be traveling towards us at the speed of light and as well as the Milky Way being ripped apart or merged, our planet were to suffer a direct hit, we would never know about it! Gone in an instant!

Also, we would not know, or do not know, of the existence of such a galaxy because of its speed.

So, if this does not appear on this forum, it's already happened and none of us are here!

If I were to become the supreme being of all the multiverse and then erase all of humanities memories and it wasnt on this forum then its already happened!

Also this could mean... sorry I got distracted by the blue and yellow spotted dwarf piglet flying past the window.

Please don't post rubbish. **Awaits thread locking**

 

[ibysaiyan]

I wasn't aware that people trolled on PF. Hah

 

[sardar]

I cannot definitively say whether this scenario is possible or not, as it goes beyond our current understanding of physics. However, I can provide some insights and considerations.

Firstly, the idea of a galaxy traveling at the speed of light is not feasible according to our current understanding of relativity. As an object approaches the speed of light, its mass and energy increase infinitely, making it impossible to reach the speed of light. So, the concept of a galaxy traveling at light speed is highly unlikely.

Secondly, the merging or ripping apart of galaxies is a natural and common occurrence in the universe. However, it happens over a long period of time, not instantaneously. Even if two galaxies were on a collision course, it would take millions or billions of years for them to fully merge or rip apart.

In terms of our planet suffering a direct hit, it is possible that a collision with another galaxy could have catastrophic effects. However, the chances of this happening are incredibly small, as galaxies are mostly empty space and the likelihood of a direct hit is low.

Additionally, even if such a scenario were to occur, we would not necessarily be "gone in an instant." The effects of a collision between galaxies would likely be gradual and would depend on many factors, such as the size and speed of the galaxies involved.

Overall, while the idea of a galaxy traveling at light speed and colliding with our own may seem impossible and catastrophic, we cannot make any definitive statements about it. Our understanding of the universe is constantly evolving, and there may be possibilities and phenomena that we have yet to discover.