Our galaxy, the Milky Way, and its nearest large neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), are on a collision course. Billions of years from now, the merger will transform the structure of both galaxies and create a new arrangement of stars we have dubbed Milkomeda. The merger will radically transform the night sky. But into what?
Currently, the Milky Way’s thin disk of stars and gas appears as a nebulous strip arching across the summer sky. As Andromeda grazes the Milky Way, a second lane of stars will join the one that presently graces the night sky. After the final merger, the stars will no longer be confined to two narrow lanes, but instead scatter across the entire sky.
Join host Abigail Bollenbach as she walk you through our galaxy’s impending date with destruction.You can view additional episodes of Infinity & Beyond here: astronomy.com/videos
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