Each galaxy contains over a hundred billion stars, which is 100 million trillion possible collisions. Nevertheless, the chance of even two stars colliding is negligible because of the huge distances between them. For example, the nearest star to the Sun is Proxima Centauri, about thirty million solar diameters away. If the sun were a ping-pong ball in Paris, the equivalent Proxima would be a pea-sized ball in Berlin (and our galaxy would be 12 million miles wide—about a third of the distance to Mars).
Stars are much denser near the galactic centers—the average separation is only 100 billion miles. But that is still a density which is about equal to one ping-pong ball every two miles. Thus, it is extremely unlikely that any two stars may collide, and the two galaxies would swirl through each other like two clouds.
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"SMOKEDOG42O taught me how to feel love, but fetus taught me how to make love." - Pablo Escobar
Such collisions are relatively common, however. Andromeda, for example, is believed to have collided with at least one other galaxy in the past,[5] and several dwarf galaxies such as SagDEG are currently colliding with the Milky Way and being merged into it.
Wait what
There are seriously four other galaxies crashing into the Milky Way right now?
Also augh, Milky Way? Really? It's such a gross name. We should rename it Saganalaxy.
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"SMOKEDOG42O taught me how to feel love, but fetus taught me how to make love." - Pablo Escobar
From: shadosneko | #003 I don't believe that's what'd happen.
I don't think that really takes effects of gravity into account.
A ping pong ball in paris does exert a force of gravity on a pea in berlin.
It's entirely negligible, though.
Also this stuff doesn't seem that surprising, unless it's like a recent thing. I'd think these things have been slowly happening over millions of years.
-- _foolmo_ 'Oh please, if foolmo made that analogy you'd think it was picture perfect' - Biolizard28
Two scientists with the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics stated that when, and even whether, the two galaxies collide will depend on Andromeda's transverse velocity.[1] Based on current calculations they predict a 50% chance that in a merged galaxy the solar system will be swept out three times farther from the galactic core than it is currently located.[1] They also predict a 12% chance that the Solar System will be ejected from the new galaxy some time during the collision.[6] Such an event would have no adverse effect on the system and chances of any sort of disturbance to the Sun or planets themselves may be remote.[6][7]
i love this
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bad advice http://www.last.fm/user/snowcampsoldier
Viktor Vaughn posted... Two scientists with the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics stated that when, and even whether, the two galaxies collide will depend on Andromeda's transverse velocity.[1] Based on current calculations they predict a 50% chance that in a merged galaxy the solar system will be swept out three times farther from the galactic core than it is currently located.[1] They also predict a 12% chance that the Solar System will be ejected from the new galaxy some time during the collision.[6] Such an event would have no adverse effect on the system and chances of any sort of disturbance to the Sun or planets themselves may be remote.[6][7]
i love this
We're hardcore, we're hardcore.
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"SMOKEDOG42O taught me how to feel love, but fetus taught me how to make love." - Pablo Escobar