NASA's Hubble Shows Milky Way is Destined for Head-on Collision with Andromeda Galaxy

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The merged galaxies form a huge elliptical galaxy, its bright core dominating the nighttime sky. Scoured of dust and gas, the newly merged elliptical galaxy no longer makes stars and no nebulae appear in the sky. The aging starry population is no longer concentrated along a plane, but instead fills an ellipsoidal volume.

Object Names: M31, NGC 224, Andromeda Galaxy

Image Type: Illustration

Science Illustration Credit: NASA, ESA, Z. Levay and R. van der Marel (STScI), T. Hallas, and A. Mellinger

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Montage Image: Nighttime Sky View of Future Galaxy Merger Image Type: Illustration PRC2012-20b Artist's Concept Nighttime Sky View of Future Galaxy Merger: Present Day Image Type: Illustration Artist's Concept Nighttime Sky View of Future Galaxy Merger: 2 Billion Years Image Type: Illustration Artist's Concept Nighttime Sky View of Future Galaxy Merger: 3.75 Billion Years Image Type: Illustration Artist's Concept Nighttime Sky View of Future Galaxy Merger: 3.85-3.9 Billion Years Image Type: Illustration Artist's Concept Nighttime Sky View of Future Galaxy Merger: 3.85-3.9 Billion Years Image Type: Illustration Artist's Concept Nighttime Sky View of Future Galaxy Merger: 4 Billion Years Image Type: Illustration Artist's Concept Nighttime Sky View of Future Galaxy Merger: 5.1 Billion Years Image Type: Illustration Artist's Concept

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