NASA's Hubble Shows Milky Way is Destined for Head-On Collision

[Knyro]

I don't get the excitement..
This is like... let's say Nicodeamus...telling me that there's this guy named Dennis at this moment sitting in Starbucks, Cottonwood. He finished his Chicken santa fe Panini and just ordered a coffee ice cream. So bloody what???

I'm not particularly exited, interested yes, but not excited. If there were a way for me to actually witness it then I may have been exited.

 

[zippy]

True. I guess I'm struggling to imagine how a galaxy twice the size (or mass... not sure) of ours will not cause damage to our solar system.

Galaxies aren't a solid mass. You are taking terms "flung", "collision" too literally. As usual these words are put into science press releases to get people to read them.

The 2 galaxies will not collide. They will merge over an incredible large amount of time. The process is so slow that it is only gravity which will affect objects in either galaxy. Also, the gravitational influence of the "incoming" objects will still not be stronger on planets than the gravitational influence of the stars of those planets or even planets in the same systems.

 

[zippy]

I don't get the excitement..
This is like... let's say Nicodeamus...telling me that there's this guy named Dennis at this moment sitting in Starbucks, Cottonwood. He finished his Chicken santa fe Panini and just ordered a coffee ice cream. So bloody what???

If you where in restaurant business you might find it fascinating why Dennis chose coffee ice cream to go with his Chicken Dante fe Panini instead of the more sophisticated Latte. But aren't in the restaurant business, or in the astrophysics business ?

 

[Ekstasis]

If you where in restaurant business you might find it fascinating why Dennis chose coffee ice cream to go with his Chicken Dante fe Panini instead of the more sophisticated Latte. But aren't in the restaurant business, or in the astrophysics business ?

If I was in the restaurant business and IF I had to consider the eating habits of a person on another continent...at least I wouldn't have to incorporate a decision 4 BILLION years later - take a wild guess as to why.

 

[mercurial]

Galaxies aren't a solid mass. You are taking terms "flung", "collision" too literally. As usual these words are put into science press releases to get people to read them.

The 2 galaxies will not collide. They will merge over an incredible large amount of time. The process is so slow that it is only gravity which will affect objects in either galaxy. Also, the gravitational influence of the "incoming" objects will still not be stronger on planets than the gravitational influence of the stars of those planets or even planets in the same systems.

Then they shouldn't use words such as collide if that's not what's really going to happen. I guess the documentaries I've watched over the years were wrong then.

 

[Geriatrix]

Then they shouldn't use words such as collide if that's not what's really going to happen. I guess the documentaries I've watched over the years were wrong then.

NASA's Hubble Shows Milky Way is Destined for Head-On Hug!

 

[Elimentals]

I don't get the excitement..
This is like... let's say Nicodeamus...telling me that there's this guy named Dennis at this moment sitting in Starbucks, Cottonwood. He finished his Chicken santa fe Panini and just ordered a coffee ice cream. So bloody what???

Excited - No.
Fascinated - you bet ya.

 

[Knyro]

Then they shouldn't use words such as collide if that's not what's really going to happen. I guess the documentaries I've watched over the years were wrong then.

Stay away from popsci then and read proper scientific articles

History channel is the worst when it comes to exaggeration. "What if one of these continental asteroids/gamma ray bursters that are millions of kilometres/light years away is headed straight for Earth?"

NASA's Hubble Shows Milky Way is Destined for Head-On Hug!

Bah! How boring!

/doesn't read

"ZOMG black holes created at the LHC could suck in the entire planet! "

/reads

 

[mercurial]

Stay away from popsci then and read proper scientific articles

History channel is the worst when it comes to exaggeration. "What if one of these continental asteroids/gamma ray bursters that are millions of kilometres/light years away is headed straight for Earth?"



Bah! How boring!

/doesn't read

"ZOMG black holes created at the LHC could suck in the entire planet! "

/reads

It was indeed the History Channel. A show called The Universe.

 

[ponder]

/looks for suitable towl

 

[zippy]

Then they shouldn't use words such as collide if that's not what's really going to happen. I guess the documentaries I've watched over the years were wrong then.

the context needs to be understood. When they talk about a "collision" between galaxies and a "collision" between planets, I never had any problem in understanding the difference, because I didn't just take in in that single statement, but also the context and the rest of the article.

Also, some common sense helps

 

[isie]

the context needs to be understood. When they talk about a "collision" between galaxies and a "collision" between planets, I never had any problem in understanding the difference, because I didn't just take in in that single statement, but also the context and the rest of the article.

Also, some common sense helps

maybe the word should be galactic merger? since at the end of it you endup with a new larger galaxy?

 

[Elimentals]

maybe the word should be galactic merger? since at the end of it you endup with a new larger galaxy?

Talking about the merger, in the simulations run some solar systems where ejected from the merge and went there own way.

Now that would really suck for life on those planets, you think we are alone wait till your in a solar system drifting alone in space with no galaxy

 

[isie]

Talking about the merger, in the simulations run some solar systems where ejected from the merge and went there own way.

Now that would really suck for life on those planets, you think we are alone wait till your in a solar system drifting alone in space with no galaxy

A rogue solar system, considering we on one of the spiral arms, that could be us.
Just speculating hey if it is,we will see in 4 billion years i could be dead right (or dead and wrong but hey )

 

[mercurial]

the context needs to be understood. When they talk about a "collision" between galaxies and a "collision" between planets, I never had any problem in understanding the difference, because I didn't just take in in that single statement, but also the context and the rest of the article.

Also, some common sense helps

Uhm, ya, that's how we all read articles hey

It's easy to fall prey when they are more interested in sensationalizing the article, rather than telling it what it is. I'm referring to other articles that I've read on the matter before this one.

For the layman, when they said galaxies will collide, that's exactly what we expect. If it were explained as it should be, then there wouldn't be any confusion. Common sense says if they say galaxies will collide, then galaxies will collide. Saying "merge" in the headline does not attract the same kind of attention as "collision". Can you blame people for believing what they write even if the source is good?

I'm fairly well versed on the universe and up until now, everything I've read and watched said the galaxies will collide. Hence my initial skepticism.

 

[mercurial]

Talking about the merger, in the simulations run some solar systems where ejected from the merge and went there own way.

Now that would really suck for life on those planets, you think we are alone wait till your in a solar system drifting alone in space with no galaxy

That's what I was thinking as well.

 

[Knyro]

Talking about the merger, in the simulations run some solar systems where ejected from the merge and went there own way.

Now that would really suck for life on those planets, you think we are alone wait till your in a solar system drifting alone in space with no galaxy

Dark Space? Nah, you'll have the Reapers to keep you company

 

[Swa]

When two objects collide and destroy each other it happens because the bonds between the atoms are destroyed. You end up with a new object but the atoms in it are still the same. Same way when two galaxies collide they destroy each other but the objects in them are mostly unaffected. It's a real collision in the sense but people who don't know misinterpret it.

Also 4 billion years? Isn't our sun supposed to burn up and swallow us by then?

 

[Swa]

Talking about the merger, in the simulations run some solar systems where ejected from the merge and went there own way.

Now that would really suck for life on those planets, you think we are alone wait till your in a solar system drifting alone in space with no galaxy

I don't see what effect this would have. It's mostly the sun providing energy and heat so any presumed life on those planets should continue on blissfully unaware. Unless they're using celestial navigation.

 

[isie]

Also 4 billion years? Isn't our sun supposed to burn up and swallow us by then?

current estimates put the sun running out of hydrogen in about 5 or 6 billion years and then it will become a red giant, so we might still be around to see the merger