The Melkweg, our galaxy, in all likelihood when it gets away. Or no merger between the Galaxy With the Andromeda Galaxy, two and a half million light years from here. To protect us against the merger for the two spiral galaxies in the past, it would be above allA large cloud of MagellanoAccording to a group of researchers who, thanks to the observations of space telescopes and supercomputer work, re -read what is hidden in the crystals full of the Melkweg. Or rather, to use the words of the same scientists, he launched himself in a real exercise of galactic eschatologyNamely the doctrine who wonders about the fate of things.
The milky way
Before we enter the details – let’s talk about the results that come from one studio recently published on the pages of Nature Astronomy – We remember the most important topic of the new research. The Melkweg is a spiral galaxy, the heavenly object within which we, the TerraWe are just a very small dot in one of his arms. The galactic album of the Melkweg, which organizes the archer A*Black Hole a*, extends for 100 thousand light years. It is immersed in a mass of galaxies (the local group) that in turn, to remind NASA, is about fifty galaxy (According to some hundred and more), including Andromeda, known as the greatest of the people around us (to speak, considering yes finds About 2.5 million light years).
But not only: Andromeda Until now it was also known as the galaxy With which we would probably be clashed in the future, not exactly the following: Let’s talk Of a process that would start in around 4 billion years, according to the observations of the Hubble Space Telescope.
But we had not made the bills, not enough, with uncertainty, explain clear The conversation Two of the authors of the new research, Ruby Wright E Alexander Rawlingsrespectively from the University of West -Australia and the University of Helsinki. New analyzes with new considerations have therefore been carried out from the data of the Hubble telescope and the Gaia Dell’eas mission (with which we mapped our Galaxy).
Collision between Mattea and Andromeda? Reduce the bills again with uncertainties
“While some earlier works had focused on the interaction between the Via Lattea, Andromeda and the Galaxy of the Triangle, We have also included the effect of Great cloud of Magellano“, He explained in one usage To Sawala from the University of Helsinki, the first author of the newspaper. In fact, when the galaxy of the triangle pushes us on us Andromedathe Great cloud of Magellano Reminds us of it explain Experts. “And although previous studies they only considered the most likely value for each variable – Ripring Sawala – We have carried out thousands of simulations, so we can take into account all observational uncertainties “. The uncertainties that Sawala speaks refer to those about the masses, movement and position of the galaxies.
In half of the cases, the Melkweg will not clash with Andromeda
And when the bills and the simulations – more than 100 thousand – have been renewed, the predictions change. Specific: the chance that Andromeda and the Melkweg She grip in the next 10 billion years is around 50%, but it falls to 2% for the next 5 billion years. “Over time, the galaxies would merge because of the effect of seriousForming a single larger galaxy, probably elliptical, instead of the spirals we see today – alternative, go through Wrigth E Rawlings – If the galaxies do not merge, they could stabilize in a long track and delay one around the other, be close to companions that never completely clash completely “.
The study about Nature Astronomy It therefore gives no certainties, on the contrary. The researchers’ message is that any prediction can be revised, and that as more precise measures are added, you can have a more defined picture of the future of our Milky Way. “It is clear that thegalactic eschatology It is still at the beginning and that a considerable work is needed before the final fate of the local group can be provided with some certainty – reads the conclusions of the article, which concludes with a strange assonance for the famous sense of Marc Twain – Currently, the statements about the approaching end of our Milky Way seem considerably exaggerated “.
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