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Jur van Oerle
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If everything in the universe is moving away from everything else in the universe, how can Andromeda collide in the distant future with the Milky Way?
Because this part isn't true. Locally, galaxies interact with each other.Jur van Oerle said:If everything in the universe is moving away from everything else in the universe...
You have to keep in mind the scales. Galaxies at distances of billions of light years away are all moving away from each other at significant speeds due to the expansion of space. However the Andromeda Galaxy is only 2.5 million light years away. The magnitude of its speed away from us that is due to the expansion of space is far smaller than the magnitude of its speed toward us due to its existing momentum and gravitational attraction between the Milky Way and Andromeda.Jur van Oerle said:So, what exactly do people mean when they say 'everything is moving away from everything else'?
Galaxies can collide due to the force of gravity. The gravitational pull between the two galaxies can cause them to merge and collide with each other.
Andromeda and the Milky Way are on a collision course due to their close proximity and the gravitational pull between them. Over time, this pull has caused them to move closer together.
The collision between Andromeda and the Milky Way is estimated to happen in about 4.5 billion years.
When the two galaxies collide, their stars will not actually collide with each other due to the vast distances between them. However, the gravitational pull will cause the stars to be thrown into different orbits, potentially leading to new formations and structures in the merged galaxy.
The collision is not expected to have a direct impact on Earth. However, the merging of the two galaxies may potentially affect the distribution of stars and planets in the new galaxy, which could indirectly impact Earth's position and orbit in the future.