Galaxy Consuming Another, page 1

posted on Aug, 15 2003 @ 11:24 AM

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A galaxy known as the Tadpole consumes a smaller spiral galaxy shown to the lower left. The dwarf galaxy's stars will become part of a halo in the larger one. The Tadpole will continue to transform its companion for billions of years.
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I wonder if our own galaxy is capable of doing this.
Or to make things more interesting, a galaxy larger than the Milky Way can engulf us?

[Edited on 8-15-2003 by AmericaOnline]

Hyperspace

posted on Aug, 15 2003 @ 04:53 PM

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This is the "Tadpole" galaxy:

The one your showing is m31, the "Andromeda" galaxy (one of my favs).

Byrd

posted on Aug, 15 2003 @ 04:57 PM

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Originally posted by AmericaOnline
I wonder if our own galaxy is capable of doing this.

Yes, given the right circumstances.

Or to make things more interesting, a galaxy larger than the Milky Way can engulf us?

Yes, if we collide with a larger one. There's a number of colliding galaxies out there... the collision is SO slow that it takes a very long time (along the order of a million years) to complete.