New Research Casts Doubt on Imminent Collision Between Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies

June 06, 2025 00:01:35
New Research Casts Doubt on Imminent Collision Between Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies
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New Research Casts Doubt on Imminent Collision Between Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies

Jun 06 2025 | 00:01:35

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Show Notes

Astronomers reevaluate a popular theory about the fate of our galaxy that dates back to 1912. They initially believed a collision between the Milky Way and its largest neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, would occur in 4.5 billion years. However, recent research suggests this event, known as "Milkomeda", is less likely than previously thought.

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Episode Transcript

1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,568 New Research Casts Doubt on Imminent Col. lision Between Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies 2 00:00:05,568 --> 00:00:11,736 In this section , astronomers reevaluate a popular theory about the fate of our galaxy that dates back to 1912 . 3 00:00:12,736 --> 00:00:20,824 They initially believed a collision between the Milky Way and its largest neighbor , the Andromeda galaxy , would occur in 4.5 billion years . 4 00:00:21,824 --> 00:00:28,056 However , recent research suggests this event , known as ' Milkomeda ' , is less likely than previously thought . 5 00:00:29,056 --> 00:00:41,571 At first glance , it appears that the two galaxies , located about 2.5 million light - years apart , are destined to collide since they approach each other at a speed of approximately 100 kilometers per second . 6 00:00:42,571 --> 00:00:55,810 Scientists also took into account the Local Group 's 100 smaller known galaxies , such as the Large Magellanic Cloud and M33 ( the Triangle galaxy ) , to determine their influence on our galaxy over the next 10 billion years . 7 00:00:56,810 --> 00:01:12,620 After considering the gravitational pull of these galaxies and analyzing data from the Hubble and Gaia space telescopes through 100,000 simulations , researchers found a 50 % probability of collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda in the next 10 billion years . 8 00:01:13,620 --> 00:01:22,807 Contrary to earlier beliefs , there is only a 2 % chance that the galaxies will collide within 4 or 5 billion years , according to the study published Monday . 9 00:01:23,807 --> 00:01:34,465 In summary , this new research challenges existing theories about our galaxy 's future and highlights the importance of considering other celestial bodies ' impact on cosmic events .

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