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Milky Way and Andromeda Encounters

A three-panel image, two at the top and one stretched across the bottom. At the top of the image is the title “Three Future Scenarios for Milky Way and Andromeda Encounter.” This title is extended over all three panels. In the top left panel, two spiral galaxies are widely separated against the black background of space. Beneath these galaxies are the words “Galaxies bypass at 1 million light-year separation.” In the top right panel, two face-on spiral galaxies are close together. Their spiral arms appear stretched toward each other. At the bottom of this panel are the words “At 500,000 light-years, dark matter provides friction that brings galaxies to a close encounter.” In the bottom panel, two spiral galaxies have collided, resulting in a broad X-shaped patch of milky white. Mottled clouds of dark brown dust are superimposed. At the bottom of this panel are the words “A 100,000 light-year separation leads to a collision.”

These galaxy images illustrate three possible encounter scenarios between our Milky Way and the neighboring Andromeda galaxy. In the top left panel, a wide-field Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) image showing galaxies M81 and M82 serves as an example of the Milky Way and Andromeda passing each other at large distances. The top right panel shows NGC 6786, a pair of interacting galaxies displaying the telltale signs of tidal disturbances after a close encounter. The bottom panel shows NGC 520, a cosmic train wreck as two galaxies are actively merging together.

  • Release Date
    June 2, 2025
  • Science Release
    Apocalypse When? Hubble Casts Doubt on Certainty of Galactic Collision
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Science: NASA, ESA, STScI, DSS, Till Sawala (University of Helsinki); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

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Details

Last Updated
Jun 02, 2025
Editor

Andrea Gianopoulos

Location

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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