Chapter 1
The cosmic roadmap
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Chapter 2
The physics of a smash-up
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Chapter 3
The birth of Milkomeda
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Chapter 4
Collisions across the cosmic web
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YOUR GOAL
Master of When galaxies collide
Ch 2 · The physics of a smash-up
artiteacher Galactic Collision Andromeda Milky Way
When galaxies collide (Oh-oh, they mostly just pass right through!) / Stars won't hit, it's so wide (Yeah, there's so much empty room!)
Fun Fact
Empty space: The chance of any two individual stars physically colliding during the merger is nearly zero.
Glossary
gravity (noun)
The force that attracts a body toward any other physical body having mass. This pull draws the neighboring Andromeda galaxy toward our own at 110 kilometers per second.
The force that attracts a body toward any other physical body having mass. This pull draws the neighboring Andromeda galaxy toward our own at 110 kilometers per second.
Quiz
What are the long, stretched-out streams of stars pulled away by gravity during a merger called?
Quiz
Why are actual star-on-star collisions unlikely when Andromeda and the Milky Way merge?
Quiz
Which fundamental force is entirely responsible for pulling Andromeda and the Milky Way together?
Quiz
What will happen when the two central supermassive black holes eventually meet?
Quiz
What color is associated with the intense new star formation triggered by colliding gas clouds?