For many years, astronomers have held the belief that the destiny of the Milky Way was linked to our closest massive galactic neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy. Nonetheless, a recent study claims that the anticipated merger of the Milky Way may not be as assured as scientists once thought.
For over a century, astronomers have maintained that the fates of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy are intertwined. Long ago, they discovered that Andromeda was progressively approaching us. While the radial velocity of the larger galaxy was utilized for this determination, this new research argues that Andromeda’s transverse velocity was not adequately considered.
Radial velocity plays a crucial role in understanding the forward motion of a galaxy, but transverse motion is vital for gauging the lateral movement that a galaxy undergoes. Earlier investigations into the likely merger presupposed that Andromeda’s transverse motion was negligible, thereby significantly increasing the likelihood of a Milky Way merger. However, the latest results indicate a different story.
It is noteworthy that the team behind this novel study, published in Nature Astronomy, does not arrive at their conclusions based on exclusive and novel data. Instead, they assert that they have approached the data from a renewed perspective by analyzing existing observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and the now-defunct Gaia mission.
In contrast to earlier research that examined this same data, the current researchers are not making assumptions. They are incorporating the uncertainties of the measurements into their results. By simulating thousands of possible paths for both galaxies, they concluded that a merger between the Milky Way and Andromeda is not assured.
Certainly, it is still very much a possibility, with half of the simulations indicating a merger between the two galaxies. However, the other half showed no merging signs for the next 10 billion years. Without precise measurements for transverse velocity, though, these conclusions remain theoretical.
Nonetheless, this raises further questions regarding the dynamic nature of our universe, as well as our approach to comprehending it. Galaxy mergers occur frequently, rendering them feasible. However, assuming we possess all the necessary data can lead to incorrect findings just as easily as if we had disregarded the data entirely.
