Quote:
Originally Posted by CraigS
Its off topic a bit, but seeing as you brought it up, what/where is the evidence that Andromeda and the Milky Way are actually within range to be significantly gravitationally attracted ? (I know it smells a bit like GIEC (Giant Intergalactic Eddy Currents) but what the hell ? ... its been that kind of week !).
Of course other than GIEC, there's another possibility ... (early universe inertia although, perhaps this would imply co-incident paths which couldn't have happened with Inflation ?).
Wondering ... Cheers |
Simple fact that they're approaching one another at about 140kms on a highly elliptical trajectory...they will collide or come very close to it in about 3-4 billion years. Also, in the 13.7 billion years of their existence, if they were being carried along by the Hubble flow, they'd be a lot further apart than what they are now. This will be their first, possibly second pass by of one another since their formation. At their furthest apart, they believe it was about 4 million light years.
Here's some more reading for you to do
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androme..._Way_collision