Milky Way is headed for a crash course about to collide into another galaxy!

Only 4 billion years from now.

I know what you are thinking... "What am I going to do for retirement if the galaxy is ending? Where will I go?" etc..

But you should have already known this as NASA let the people know back in 2004 and in 2009.

Source to new article.

What was once believed to be a side swipe NASA has now postulated that this will be a full, head on collision.

WASHINGTON — Don't worry about when the world as we know it might end. NASA has calculated that our entire Milky Way galaxy will crash into a neighboring galaxy with a direct head-on hit — in 4 billion years.

Astronomers in a NASA news conference Thursday said that years of observations from the Hubble Space Telescope provide grisly details of a long-anticipated galactic smashup. Astronomers had seen the Andromeda galaxy coming at us, but thought there was a chance that its sideways motion would make it miss or graze the Milky Way. Hubble readings now indicate that's not the case.

"This is pretty violent as things go in the universe," said Roeland van der Marel, an astronomer with the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore that operates Hubble. "It's like a bad car crash in galaxy-land."



Read more: www.ctv.ca...

Grab the popcorn people!

reply to post by boncho


Heh......reminds me of a joke a science professor told one time in class....

A guy hears that the sun will die out in 3 billion years and gets really upset....then his friend says, dude, it's 3 billion years from now, why you freakin'?

The guy says, whew !! Man I thought you said, 3 MILLION years!

reply to post by kyred




But in all seriousness, the idea of the solar system or galaxy dying is sometimes scarier than ourselves meeting the same fate. And I'm not quite sure why!

reply to post by boncho


They have said also that because of the distance between planets and stars that there is a great chance that no collisions would occur.

So even if any of us could live for the next 4 billion years there would be nothing to really worry about as I see it,other than getting really fat from watching such an amazing show and eating lots of popcorn.

Originally posted by boncho
reply to post by kyred

 

But in all seriousness, the idea of the solar system or galaxy dying is sometimes scarier than ourselves meeting the same fate. And I'm not quite sure why!

Yeah, I know what you mean.....it is a scary thought. for some reason........

Originally posted by gps777
reply to post by boncho

 

They have said also that because of the distance between planets and stars that there is a great chance that no collisions would occur.

So even if any of us could live for the next 4 billion years there would be nothing to really worry about as I see it,other than getting really fat from watching such an amazing show and eating lots of popcorn.

Now imagine being born during the "collision" when the galaxy is merging into Andromeda. We wouldn't have the constellations we currently have, and people could easily live out full lives during the process. But looking into the sky, seeing the merging galaxy off on the horizon, wouldn't that be a sight to see.



And what if a new civilization popped up during the merger. Imagine them trying to figure out where they are in the universe with basic math and such a chaotic event going on in the background... Interesting thought.

reply to post by boncho


What if the universe burps and speeds up for no apparent reason eh...and we collide with that universe sooner than later....does string theory prove the fluctuation of the capacitor?

Originally posted by boncho
Only 4 billion years from now.

Wouldnt worry about it too much.
According to wikipedia, we've only got 1 billion years left anyway...

In one billion years' time, as the Sun's radiation output increases, its circumstellar habitable zone will move outwards, making the Earth's surface hot enough that liquid water can no longer exist there naturally. At this point, all life on land will become extinct

Originally posted by alfa1

Originally posted by boncho
Only 4 billion years from now.

Wouldnt worry about it too much.
According to wikipedia, we've only got 1 billion years left anyway...

In one billion years' time, as the Sun's radiation output increases, its circumstellar habitable zone will move outwards, making the Earth's surface hot enough that liquid water can no longer exist there naturally. At this point, all life on land will become extinct

Well you really know how to rain on someones weekend don't you. Debbie downer....

reply to post by boncho


Dear boncho

4 billion years or 1 billion years it just ant gona make ant difference, the human race mat\y well not see this century out, the way we are going.

Do you know who’s fault that is “ours”

Originally posted by MAC269
reply to post by boncho

 

Dear boncho

4 billion years or 1 billion years it just ant gona make ant difference, the human race mat\y well not see this century out, the way we are going.

Do you know who’s fault that is “ours”

Who cares about humans? I'm sentimental about this place in the universe and all the rocky crap floating around...

Originally posted by SarnholeOntarable
reply to post by boncho

 

What if the universe burps and speeds up for no apparent reason eh...and we collide with that universe sooner than later

....does string theory prove the fluctuation of the capacitor?

Universe?!?!?

We arent talking about versers here, its about GALAXIES

Its like, the imigrants moving in...Think about the cultural differences.
This will take racism to a whole new level.

Maybe all these ufos are actually SCOUTS from andromeda
checking out the place for their new homes...

reply to post by gps777

They have said also that because of the distance between planets and stars that there is a great chance that no collisions would occur.

That is a completely absurd hypothesis. Particles are 99.99% empty space, yet when you hit a wall you don't go through it do you? Lots of matter from each galaxy will collide, and lots of matter which isn't on a collision course with matter from the other galaxy will most likely be attracted to matter from the other galaxy due to the force of gravity. Furthermore, the other galaxy will not simply pass right through our galaxy and keep going, both our galaxies have way too much mass, they will merge into one galaxy due to the forces of gravity and many violent collisions will take place as that process happens.


reply to post by alfa1

Wouldnt worry about it too much.
According to wikipedia, we've only got 1 billion years left anyway...

In one billion years' time, as the Sun's radiation output increases, its circumstellar habitable zone will move outwards, making the Earth's surface hot enough that liquid water can no longer exist there naturally. At this point, all life on land will become extinct

That doesn't really matter because by the time that happens we will most likely be occupying other planets in other star system... either that or we will have already exterminated ourselves.

reply to post by ChaoticOrder


Considering the nearest star is 4 light years away, I would assume that the spacing would actually provide far less collisions that we imagine. Surely a number of rogue objects and re-positioning from gravity capture of course.

NASA doesn't believe there to be a widespread collision so much as an integration.

reply to post by boncho


Boncho, Sean Astin and I would like to educate you on the dangers of galaxy collision.... oh, and sweet sweet Felecia Day, yum.

Enjoy!

reply to post by boncho


And there are about 300 billion stars in the galaxy. When looking at the milky way band in the sky the naked eye cannot even tell the difference between individual stars. You need to think about this on a much larger scale. Two galaxies colliding is two ultra large and considerably dense clumps of mass coming together. They will impact each other in a very violent way.

reply to post by ChaoticOrder

So Earth should easily survive what will be a 1.2 million mile per hour galactic merger. Even at that speed, the event would take about 2 billion years. Read more: www.ctv.ca...

Even with 300 billion stars that's only just over a hundred entering the galaxy every year, in an expanse of hundreds of lightyears. Not quite an interstate collision.

reply to post by ChaoticOrder


I think maybe you should also watch the video I posted above, you kinda sound like the director in the video, which made me

ETAP.S. you're wrong

Well,B

Looks like I am going to get my Bucket List together...............

Do you think in a thousand years,we as a human race,will get ourselves off this rock,and start traversing the stars ?

I think if we do,Earth will become a Legend,a Myth,in say 4 million years............

reply to post by boncho


Yes, the Earth will most likely avoid collision but that does not mean it will "survive". Here is a more serious video showing what a collision between galaxies would look like. It's like throwing two clumps of sand at each other. A vast number of sand particles from each pile will simply pass right by each other, but a large amount will impact each other. Most important however, when the piles collide the shape of each pile will be vastly distorted. Our solar system and our orbit around the Sun will most likely be distorted and the entire planet could even be ejected from the solar system or even the galaxy.