Scientists are re-evaluating the chances of a collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxy, suggesting it’s not as inevitable as once thought.
Recent findings from Finnish astronomers indicate that our galaxy now has a 50-50 chance of merging with Andromeda in the next 10 billion years, changing previous assumptions which estimated a collision within just 5 billion years.
“Based on the best available data, our galaxy’s future is still fully open,” the research team noted in their study published in *Nature Astronomy*.
Researchers from the University of Helsinki ran simulations using updated data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission. This analysis revealed some unexpected outcomes.
“We rarely have direct head-on collisions; there’s actually less than a 2% chance of that happening,” explained researcher Sawara. “Usually, the galaxies pass over one another first, losing orbital energy before they merge.”
They also mentioned that if the galaxies stay beyond 500,000 light-years apart, they might not merge at all, adding a layer of uncertainty to their findings.
Interestingly, Sawara admitted he was taken aback by the results.
“Essentially, what was once near certainty has now shifted to a coin flip,” he stated.
The study utilized newer, more precise data and considered the influence of the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Milky Way’s largest satellite galaxy.
In the end, the findings suggest that while Milky Way and Andromeda could collide if their orbits come close enough to interact gravitationally, there’s also a significant chance of separation, which could prevent any merging.
Moreover, researchers found that the Milky Way might be more inclined to “cannibalize” the Large Magellanic Cloud sooner than merging with Andromeda, likely within the next 2 billion years.
