Galaxies in Collision

Absolutely fascinating, Ned, but I think a better term than "merger" is needed to refer to a galactic collision. In my opinion, "merger" sounds too financial, as if one galaxy is forcing a leveraged buyout of the other. Just off the top of my head, I'd suggest "fusion," "agglomeration," or even "combination." But maybe I'm too focused on the details.

this is amazing, maybe when we die we will go to differnt galaxies and live our lives as cats in a giant ball of yarn

Question:
Since this galaxy is 5 billion light years away and we are just know seeing it, didn't this merger happen 5 billion years ago?

Stotto you are correct, the galaxy shape has already been formed but we will not see that for another billion years most likely

Thanks for the clarification MaxPower.

Wait a minute. I thought the universe was created by a guy with a flowing white beard who lives in the clouds above my head. How could all of this stuff be happening so far away???

CMWin3 you got your facts all wrong, the guy with the flowing beard ended up being the second cousin of Charlton Heston...the real guy you are thinking of is Mr Belvedere, he's got powers if you know what i mean

I think that this is yet another one of God's wounderful creations... Just look at how amazing it really is.

Wonder what all those Evangelical Republicans think about this, seeing as the Earth is only 4000 years old and dinosaurs never existed...

Amazing! They can tell what's happening 5 Billion light years away and know what will happen to our galaxy 5 Billion years from now, but they can't find Osama Bin Laden.

Hey Megan, what god are you refering to? If I remember all the biblical fiction that was forced into my head when I was younger correctly ... didn't your god create the universe in like 7 days or so? If this is the case ... why all the extra activity? If you people want to make an argument for intelligent design, creationalism, whatever ... why don't you tackle the real questions regarding the universe instead of basking in all of "god's" glory. Or at least just think for yourself for a change!

Do you know what a light year is? Multiply that by 5 billion. Do you really think we, little old mankind of planet Earth, can "see" an event taking place that far away? What we "see" happened a long time ago. Besides, the ancient Vedic texts describe the universe as having a finite circumference, like the inside of a basketball, with coverings made of the same elements that make up the universe (earth, water, fire etc.)that's why it's dark inside. So, these speculations of an infinite universe of billions of light years in distance is pure conjecture!

regarding the 'merger should already have happened since what we see is 5 billion years old'...

Stotto and MaxPower, neither of you are correct. The merger, just like the article sais, will happen in about 5 billion years. Never did the article mention how far away the galaxy is, which is in fact about 2.5 million light years away. Even so, the speed at which the galaxy moves has nothing to do with speed of light other than the fact we use it as a form of measuring the distance.

So, according to the article
1. It will still take 5 billion years for our galaxy to merge with Andromeda
2. Andromeda is actually about 2.5 million light years away, and yes, what we see is 2.5 million years old, but has nothing to do with when we will merge with it.

Well, if the Vedic texts say so...

Chris, please read article carefully
"Five billion light-years away, the Spitzer infrared Space Telescope has spotted a cataclysm in progress--four galaxies "

"Our Milky Way will merge with the Andromeda Galaxy in about five billion years, by which time science fiction writers predict we'll either have turned to dust, come to rule the universe, or something in between."

I am a big Sci Fi fan, but heck.. with a prediction like that, how can you be wrong? LOL

Max, you didn't read Chris's post clearly. He said that our galaxy will colide with the Andromeda galaxy in approximatly 5 billion years. And that the distance from our galaxy to the Andromeda is approximatly 2.5 million light years. Now, take that and count, Ours and Andromeda merging.....2 galaxies. Ned's article about 4 galaxies merging 5 billion light years away.......4 galaxies. Yes, the articles puts the distance at 5 billion light years, yes that means we are seeing the four galaxies as they were 5 billion years ago, around the time that our sun was forming, and before the earth is said by scientists to have formed. Now about the Milky Way and Andromeda merger, yes it'll happen, it's been known for a long time, nothing new.

Now, I think this is cool. And somewhat wonder what it'd be like to be in very close proximity to the merger, having your night sky filled with four galaxies as they collide, shear beauty.

jeremydbrooks, we were talking about the Andromeda Galaxy, that part you quoted is in the same article, but part of a different issue ;). I recommend the same advice! :)

To be very clear,
1 The four galaxies: "Five billion light-years away, the Spitzer infrared Space Telescope has spotted a cataclysm in progress--four galaxies crashing into each other"
2. Our Galaxy and Andromeda: "Our Milky Way will merge with the Andromeda Galaxy in about five billion years.."

Perhaps the fact that both numbers (5-billion years) are the same is causing the confusion... I can see that :)

oh, i meant MaxPower, not Jeremydbrooks..sorry! heh

that's really out there. and so it was and shall be. what we didn't witness then, if we were to witness now, would be happening a second time? like Deja Vu it might awaken a spark of recognition in some dormant pasture of cosmic consciousness.