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Experts Say Milky Way Has 50-50 Chance of Colliding with Neighbor Galaxy. But When?

  • Astronomers presented new research on June 8, 2025, showing the Milky Way has about a 50% chance of colliding with the Andromeda galaxy within 10 billion years.
  • This revised probability arises after analyzing data from Gaia and Hubble telescopes and running 100,000 simulations including various gravitational factors and uncertainties.
  • Researchers led by Till Sawala indicate the Milky Way–Andromeda merger, known as Milkomeda, was previously considered almost certain to occur in 4 to 5 billion years, but new evidence suggests a more uncertain future.
  • Carlos Frenk from Durham University warns the Milky Way is more likely to merge with the Large Magellanic Cloud within 2 billion years, a scenario with near certainty according to simulations accounting for 22 variables.
  • These findings imply the Milky Way’s ultimate fate may not be a guaranteed collision with Andromeda, highlighting uncertainties about galaxy motions and encouraging further data collection in 2026 to clarify the outcome.
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Scientists spot giant galaxy clusters preparing for second crash

Since the first collision, the clusters have continued traveling outwards and are currently separated by about 11 million light-years.

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Phys.org broke the news in United Kingdom on Saturday, June 7, 2025.
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