Hubble image archive
Crash of the Titans: Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way Collision
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 distortio...
- Date
- Jan 1, 2012
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-2012-20-3028-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.
Credits
Science Illustration: NASA, ESA, Z. Levay and R. van der Marel (STScI), and A. MellingerImage Details
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | M31, NGC 224, Andromeda Galaxy |
| R.A. Position | 00h 42m 44.0s |
| Dec. Position | 41° 16' 8.99" |
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Source
Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.
View on NASA.gov