Collision Course

I have watched on the science channel on TV( channel 272 here in Sunnyvale,
CA) that the Andromeda galaxy is on collision course with Milky way,our own
galaxy and they are moving toward each other at a speed of 270,000 miles
per hour. An astrophysicist describes this as very catasthropic, sending the
earth away from its orbit, could disintegrate, or swallowed by the two
massive blackholes in the center if each galaxy.

I this happens, how long will it take, a hundred, a thousand, million years
or maybe closer?
I really appreciate if someone could clarify these.
Thanks a lot!

In message ,
RAP writes
I have watched on the science channel on TV( channel 272 here in Sunnyvale,
CA) that the Andromeda galaxy is on collision course with Milky way,our own
galaxy and they are moving toward each other at a speed of 270,000 miles
per hour. An astrophysicist describes this as very catasthropic, sending the
earth away from its orbit, could disintegrate, or swallowed by the two
massive blackholes in the center if each galaxy.

I'd be interested to know the name of the "astrophysicist" because it
sounds like nonsense. It's true that in several thousand million years
the galaxies _may_ collide. It's also true that the collision will
probably occur after our sun has become a red giant, so what happens
won't even affect the Earth (we will have been dead or evolved into
something else for about twice as long as life has existed on Earth) The
collision is likely to lead to a burst of star formation, as has been
seen in other galaxies (so there will be lots of new places to go to.
Oddly enough, this is similar to E E Smith's idea in the old "Lensman"
books, where he suggested that a collision of galaxies would lead to
lots of new _planets_ being formed) The chance of any two stars coming
close enough to interact, or for any stars in the outer regions to meet
the central black holes, is minute. The chance of the two black holes
colliding is slightly less minute.
Finally, because no-one knows the transverse velocities of the two
galaxies, it's not certain that a collision will occur.
On a scale of events we don't have to plan for, this is on a par with
the idea of moving the Earth when the sun becomes a red giant. The sky
is _not_ falling :-)
--
Save the Hubble Space Telescope!
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On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 21:51:45 GMT, RAP wrote:

I have watched on the science channel on TV( channel 272 here in Sunnyvale,
CA) that the Andromeda galaxy is on collision course with Milky way,our own
galaxy and they are moving toward each other at a speed of 270,000 miles
per hour. An astrophysicist describes this as very catasthropic, sending the
earth away from its orbit, could disintegrate, or swallowed by the two
massive blackholes in the center if each galaxy.

I this happens, how long will it take, a hundred, a thousand, million years
or maybe closer?
I really appreciate if someone could clarify these.
Thanks a lot!

The Andromeda galaxy is about 2.3 million light years away.

Assuming that it and our galaxy actually are on a collision course, it
will take billions of years to close the distance. Our sun will have
become a red giant before that time, rendering earth uninhabitable.

No human will be around to witness the event, though it's at least
conceivable that ancestors of humans will have left our solar system by
then.

All events completely beyond our influence and lifespan.


--
- Mike

Remove 'spambegone.net' and reverse to send e-mail.

Thanks a lot for the information. I don't remember the name of the
astrophysicist
but they were giving the facts from a big astronomical observatory in
Hawaii. They said that the observatory's
telescope is more powerful than the Hubble.
Anyway, thanks again.


"Jonathan Silverlight" . wrote in message
...
In message ,
RAP writes
I have watched on the science channel on TV( channel 272 here in
Sunnyvale,
CA) that the Andromeda galaxy is on collision course with Milky way,our
own
galaxy and they are moving toward each other at a speed of 270,000 miles
per hour. An astrophysicist describes this as very catasthropic, sending
the
earth away from its orbit, could disintegrate, or swallowed by the two
massive blackholes in the center if each galaxy.

I'd be interested to know the name of the "astrophysicist" because it
sounds like nonsense. It's true that in several thousand million years
the galaxies _may_ collide. It's also true that the collision will
probably occur after our sun has become a red giant, so what happens
won't even affect the Earth (we will have been dead or evolved into
something else for about twice as long as life has existed on Earth) The
collision is likely to lead to a burst of star formation, as has been
seen in other galaxies (so there will be lots of new places to go to.
Oddly enough, this is similar to E E Smith's idea in the old "Lensman"
books, where he suggested that a collision of galaxies would lead to
lots of new _planets_ being formed) The chance of any two stars coming
close enough to interact, or for any stars in the outer regions to meet
the central black holes, is minute. The chance of the two black holes
colliding is slightly less minute.
Finally, because no-one knows the transverse velocities of the two
galaxies, it's not certain that a collision will occur.
On a scale of events we don't have to plan for, this is on a par with
the idea of moving the Earth when the sun becomes a red giant. The sky
is _not_ falling :-)
--
Save the Hubble Space Telescope!
Remove spam and invalid from address to reply.

Thank you so much. Actually, I too was curious about the facts.
I't's my 10 year old daughter who became interested in astronomy since
she got a Meade oversized telescope last Chritmas. We always watch
science channel together, specially when the astronomy is the topic.
Thanks again.

"Mike Ruskai" wrote in message
.earthlink.net...
On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 21:51:45 GMT, RAP wrote:

I have watched on the science channel on TV( channel 272 here in
Sunnyvale,
CA) that the Andromeda galaxy is on collision course with Milky way,our
own
galaxy and they are moving toward each other at a speed of 270,000 miles
per hour. An astrophysicist describes this as very catasthropic, sending
the
earth away from its orbit, could disintegrate, or swallowed by the two
massive blackholes in the center if each galaxy.

I this happens, how long will it take, a hundred, a thousand, million
years
or maybe closer?
I really appreciate if someone could clarify these.
Thanks a lot!

The Andromeda galaxy is about 2.3 million light years away.

Assuming that it and our galaxy actually are on a collision course, it
will take billions of years to close the distance. Our sun will have
become a red giant before that time, rendering earth uninhabitable.

No human will be around to witness the event, though it's at least
conceivable that ancestors of humans will have left our solar system by
then.

All events completely beyond our influence and lifespan.


--
- Mike

Remove 'spambegone.net' and reverse to send e-mail.

A slow but spam free astronomy e-mail to join, send a blank e-mail to:


and reply to the follow up message.



--
"In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening
towards an east that would not know another dawn.
But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning
lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go
again."

Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars

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"RAP" wrote in message
...
Thank you so much. Actually, I too was curious about the facts.
I't's my 10 year old daughter who became interested in astronomy since
she got a Meade oversized telescope last Chritmas. We always watch
science channel together, specially when the astronomy is the topic.
Thanks again.

"Mike Ruskai" wrote in message
.earthlink.net...
On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 21:51:45 GMT, RAP wrote:

I have watched on the science channel on TV( channel 272 here in
Sunnyvale,
CA) that the Andromeda galaxy is on collision course with Milky way,our
own
galaxy and they are moving toward each other at a speed of 270,000 miles
per hour. An astrophysicist describes this as very catasthropic, sending
the
earth away from its orbit, could disintegrate, or swallowed by the two
massive blackholes in the center if each galaxy.

I this happens, how long will it take, a hundred, a thousand, million
years
or maybe closer?
I really appreciate if someone could clarify these.
Thanks a lot!

The Andromeda galaxy is about 2.3 million light years away.

Assuming that it and our galaxy actually are on a collision course, it
will take billions of years to close the distance. Our sun will have
become a red giant before that time, rendering earth uninhabitable.

No human will be around to witness the event, though it's at least
conceivable that ancestors of humans will have left our solar system by
then.

All events completely beyond our influence and lifespan.


--
- Mike

Remove 'spambegone.net' and reverse to send e-mail.






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Do not worry about it we will have destroyed ourselves long before then,
Pakistan has just assured the the coming of a nuclear halacaust. by the
distribution and the selling of nuclear materials, and to ensure it will
happen they sold it to Arab nations and N. Korea. the people that are so
unstable that if they were individuals they would be commited.

"RAP" wrote in message
...
I have watched on the science channel on TV( channel 272 here in
Sunnyvale,
CA) that the Andromeda galaxy is on collision course with Milky way,our
own
galaxy and they are moving toward each other at a speed of 270,000 miles
per hour. An astrophysicist describes this as very catasthropic, sending
the
earth away from its orbit, could disintegrate, or swallowed by the two
massive blackholes in the center if each galaxy.

I this happens, how long will it take, a hundred, a thousand, million
years
or maybe closer?
I really appreciate if someone could clarify these.
Thanks a lot!