NASA's Hubble Shows Milky Way is Destined for Head-on Collision with Andromeda Galaxy

STScI-PRC2012-20a Artist's Concept

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ABOUT THIS IMAGE:

This photo illustration depicts a view of the night sky just before the predicted merger between our Milky Way galaxy and the neighboring Andromeda galaxy. About 3.75 billion years from now, Andromeda's disk fills the field of view and its gravity begins to create tidal distortions in the Milky Way. The view is inspired by dynamical computer modeling of the future collision between the two galaxies. The two galaxies collide about 4 billion years from now and merge to form a single galaxy about 6 billion years from now.

Object Names: M31, NGC 224, Andromeda Galaxy

Image Type: Illustration

Science Illustration Credit: NASA, ESA, Z. Levay and R. van der Marel (STScI), and A. Mellinger

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