Latest news with #LMC
NDTV
14 hours ago
- Science
- NDTV
Milky Way To Collide With Its Largest Neighbour Andromeda? What New Study Said
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. A new study suggests the Milky Way may not collide with Andromeda as previously thought. The chance of a head-on collision in 4.5 billion years is only 2%, with a 50% chance within 10 billion years. Astronomers have long believed that the Milky Way galaxy may collide head-on with its largest neighbour, the Andromeda galaxy, in about 4.5 billion years. But a new study shows the cosmic clash, named Milkomeda, might not happen the way it was thought. The new data, obtained using the Hubble and Gaia space telescopes, indicates the likelihood of the Milky Way and Andromeda colliding within the next 4 to 5 billion years is only 2 per cent, CNN reported. It also says there is a roughly 50 per cent chance they will collide at some point in the next 10 billion years. Earlier, scientists believed the collision may destroy both galaxies, merging them into an elongated one. The reason was that the two galaxies were moving toward each other at 2,24,000 miles per hour. They expected it to be similar to other galaxy collisions where a merger would create cosmic fireworks. Carlos Frenk, a Professor at Durham University in England and study co-author, said, "Until now we thought this was the fate that awaited our Milky Way galaxy. We now know that there is a very good chance that we may avoid that scary destiny". Dr Till Sawala, astronomer at the University of Helsinki in Finland and the lead author of the study, said the merger may create a strong starburst where many new stars would form. After that, many young stars will explode, and the supermassive black hole at the centre will become very active, sending out a lot of radiation, he said. A few billion years after the merger, the two original galaxies will no longer look like they used to; instead, they will turn into one spiral-shaped galaxy called an elliptical galaxy, said Mr Sawala. Our corner of the universe, called the Local Group, consists of 100 other smaller galaxies, including some large ones like the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Triangulum Galaxy. M33 is an Andromeda satellite, whereas the LMC orbits the Milky Way. Mr Frenk cautions that the Milky Way is more likely to collide with the LMC in the next 2 billion years, which might drastically alter our galaxy. Mr Sawala said, "The extra mass of Andromeda's satellite galaxy M33 pulls the Milky Way a little bit more towards it." According to Geraint Lewis, an astrophysics professor at the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Sydney, scientists are unsure whether the Milky Way and Andromeda will collide, but even if they do, the gravitational pull that each will exert on the other is likely to leave the two massive galaxies in an awful situation.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Once inevitable collision between Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies now seems less likely, astronomers say
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. A collision between our Milky Way galaxy and its largest neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, predicted to occur in about 4.5 billion years, has been anticipated by astronomers since 1912. But new research suggests that the likelihood of this galactic clash, dubbed 'Milkomeda,' is smaller than it seems. At first glance, it appears likely that the galactic duo — separated by about 2.5 million light-years — is on an inevitable collision course. The Milky Way and Andromeda are barreling toward each other at about 223,694 miles per hour (100 kilometers per second). However, the Local Group, or our corner of the universe, includes 100 known smaller galaxies. A team of astronomers factored in some of the largest among them, including the Large Magellanic Cloud, or LMC, and M33, or the Triangulum galaxy, to see how much of a role they might play on the chessboard of our galaxy's future over the next 10 billion years. After factoring in the gravitational pull of Local Group galaxies and running 100,000 simulations using new data from the Hubble and Gaia space telescopes, the team found there is about a 50% chance of a collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda in the next 10 billion years. There is only about a 2% chance the galaxies will collide in 4 to 5 billion years as previously thought, according to the study published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy. A merger of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies would destroy them both, eventually turning both spiral structures into one elongated galaxy, the study authors said. Collisions between other galaxies have been known to create 'cosmic fireworks, when gas, driven to the center of the merger remnant, feeds a central black hole emitting an enormous amount of radiation, before irrevocably falling into the hole,' said study coauthor Carlos Frenk, professor at Durham University in England. 'Until now we thought this was the fate that awaited our Milky Way galaxy,' Frenk said. 'We now know that there is a very good chance that we may avoid that scary destiny.' However, there are many unknown factors that make it difficult to predict the ultimate fate of our galaxy, according to the study authors. And, Frenk warns, the Milky Way has a greater chance of colliding with the LMC within 2 billion years, which could fundamentally alter our galaxy. The LMC orbits the Milky Way, while M33 is a satellite of Andromeda. The LMC's mass is only about 15% of the Milky Way's. But the team found that the satellite galaxy has a gravitational pull, perpendicular to Andromeda, that changes the Milky Way's motion enough to reduce the chance of a merger between the two giant galaxies. It's a similar case for M33. 'The extra mass of Andromeda's satellite galaxy M33 pulls the Milky Way a little bit more towards it,' said lead study author Dr. Till Sawala, astronomer at the University of Helsinki in Finland. 'However, we also show that the LMC pulls the Milky Way off the orbital plane and away from Andromeda. It doesn't mean that the LMC will save us from that merger, but it makes it a bit less likely.' Previous research also has assumed most likely values for unknown data, such as the uncertainties in the present positions, motions and masses of the Local Group galaxies. In the new study, the team accounted for 22 different variables, including those unknowns, that could contribute to a collision. 'We ran many thousands of simulations, which allowed us to account for all the observational uncertainties,' Sawala said. 'Because there are so many variables that each have their errors, that accumulates to rather large uncertainty about the outcome, leading to the conclusion that the chance of a direct collision is only 50% within the next 10 billion years.' In just over half of the simulations predicting what could occur in 8 to 10 billion years, the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies initially sailed somewhat closely past each other before circling back and then losing enough orbital energy to collide and merge as one galaxy. These initial close encounters between each galaxy's halo — a large envelope of gas — would eventually lead to a collision. 'In general, the merger would most likely involve a strong starburst, during which many new stars would form, followed by a period of intense radiation caused by exploding young stars and the newly active supermassive black hole, eventually shutting down star formation completely,' Sawala said. 'A few billion years later, any traces of the former Milky Way and Andromeda would disappear, and the remnant would be a largely featureless elliptical galaxy.' In the other simulations, both galaxies crossed paths without disturbing each other. Geraint Lewis, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Sydney's Institute for Astronomy, finds the results showing the gravitational influence of M33 and the LMC interesting. He has previously authored research on a potential collision between Andromeda and the Milky Way. 'We won't know if the collision is definitely off in the future, but this clearly shows that the story that people tell — that there will be a collision that will destroy the Milky Way and Andromeda — is not as clear or certain that people think,' Lewis said. 'But even if there is a pretty close encounter rather than smashing head-on, the gravitational tearing that each will assert on each other is likely to leave the two large galaxies in a sorry state.' While including the LMC's gravitational effects on the Milky Way is important, accounting for uncertainties is the most important aspect of the new study, said Scott Lucchini, a postdoctoral fellow in the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian. 'Here, they've sampled from the uncertainties in the positions, velocities, and masses of the galaxies to obtain the relative probabilities of different outcomes,' Lucchini wrote in an email. 'This really gives us the whole picture of what could happen in the future.' Galaxies are full of intricacies. Their shapes can become distorted, interactions can change their orbits and they can lose mass in different ways. Such complexities make predictions difficult, Lucchini said. That essentially leaves the fate of the Milky Way 'completely open,' the study authors wrote in the new paper. However, more data coming from the Gaia space telescope in the summer of 2026 will provide measurements that refine some of the uncertainties about the speed and direction at which Andromeda is moving across the sky, Sawala said. The fate of the sun may have a bigger impact on Earth's future than the motions of galaxies, according to the researchers. Our sun is 4.5 billion years old. When it starts to die in another 5 billion years, it will swell into a red giant that engulfs Mercury, Venus and potentially Earth, according to NASA. 'The short answer is that the end of the sun is far worse for our planet than the collision with Andromeda,' Sawala said. 'While that merger would mean the end of our galaxy, it would not necessarily be the end of the sun or the Earth. Although our work also shows that earlier studies, that purported to predict precisely what the fate of the solar system would be after the merger, were clearly premature, in general, collisions between stars or planets are extremely rare during galaxy mergers. And while the end of the sun is certain, our study shows that the end of the galaxy is anything but.' While the team didn't model a merger between the LMC and the Milky Way in detail, they found a 'virtual certainty' that a merger between the two galaxies will occur within the next 2 billion years, which aligns with previous research, Sawala said. But the effects will likely be more minor than a merger between the Milky Way and Andromeda. 'The merger (between the Milky Way and the LMC) will not destroy our galaxy but it will change it profoundly, particularly impacting our central supermassive black hole and the galactic halo,' Frenck wrote in an email. He also served as a coauthor on a 2019 paper on the potential merger.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies may not collide after all
In roughly 4 billion years, our home Milky Way galaxy may collide with the neighboring Andromeda galaxy. We are approaching Andromeda at roughly 250,000 miles per hour, and scientists have continually debated the likelihood and timing of this catastrophic event. Now, a new study published June 2 in the journal Nature Astronomy is casting new doubt on what would be a cataclysmic universe-changing event. The team from universities in Finland, the United Kingdom, and France, ran 100,000 simulations using the latest data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency's (ESA) Gaia space observatory. These variables included the effect of our galaxy's largest satellite–the Large Magellanic Cloud or LMC–and some new uncertainties. The team found only a 2 percent probability that the galaxies will collide in the next five billion years. In slightly over half of the simulated scenarios, Andromeda and the Milky Way experience at least one close encounter before they lose enough orbital energy to collide and merge. However, this happened in eight to 10 billion years and not four or five, as previous estimates found. On that earlier timescale, the sun will have already burnt itself out. Yet in most other cases, both galaxies pass at a large enough distance that they continue to evolve without playing cosmic bumper cars for years. While this new research does challenge the previously accepted fate of our galaxy, the team stresses that it is still very difficult to make a precise prediction. The new study does not imply a mistake to these earlier calculations, but instead includes more variables into the simulations with newer data from both space telescopes. 'When we tried to start from the same assumptions as previous researchers, we recovered the same results,' Till Sawala, a study co-author and astrophysicist at the University of Helsinki in Finland, said in a statement. 'We've simply been able to explore a much larger space of possibilities, taking advantage of new data. While some earlier works had focused on the interaction between the Milky Way, Andromeda, and the Triangulum galaxy, we also include the effect of the LMC.' While the LMC's mass is less than 10 percent of the Milky Way's mass, its gravitational pull is directed perpendicular to the orbit with Andromeda. This alters the Milky Way's motion enough to significantly reduce the chances of a mega merge with Andromeda. While earlier studies considered the most most likely value for each variable, the team here ran many thousands of simulations to allow for many observational uncertainties. 'These results are significant for the fate of our Galaxy,' added Alis Deason, a study co-author and galactic astronomer from Durham University in the UK. 'It used to appear destined to merge with Andromeda forming a colossal 'Milkomeda'. Now, there is a chance that we could avoid this fate entirely.' [ Related: A terrifying fate may lurk inside the Milky Way. ] The team are already looking ahead to studying further scenarios when even more datasets become available, since this new uncertainty about the future of the Milky Way and Andromeda may not last and our understanding of these events is constantly changing. Gaia is expected to deliver more precise measurements of some of the most crucial variables within galaxies. These variables include Andromeda's transverse motion–or when all points on a wave oscillate along paths at right angles to the direction of the wave's advance–which is difficult to measure directly. 'The Universe is a dynamic place, constantly evolving,' said study co-author and Durham University cosmologist Carlos Frenk. 'We see external galaxies often colliding and merging with other galaxies, sometimes producing the equivalent of cosmic fireworks when gas, driven to the centre of the merger remnant, feeds a central black hole emitting an enormous amount of radiation, before irrevocably falling into the hole. Until now we thought this was the fate that awaited our Milky Way galaxy. We now know that there is a very good chance that we may avoid that scary destiny.'
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Time of India
Drive to check cattle menace held across city
Lucknow: The teams of Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) initiated action against illegal dairies and encroachment, following a TOI report on cattle menace published on Monday. The drive was carried out in many areas, mainly along G-20 Road near Janeshwar Mishra Park in the Gomti Nagar Extension area. The drive led to the seizure of 16 buffaloes and 1 cow, which were sent to the municipal animal shelter (Kanji House) in Thakurganj. The animals will only be released after fines are paid, and the action is expected to bring in around Rs 3,25,000 in penalties. According to LMC officials, several complaints were received about unauthorized dairies and encroachment in the area. Dr Abhinav Verma, Animal Welfare Officer, said, "We received several complaints from residents about stray animals affecting both traffic and public health. Following these complaints and media reports, we initiated strict action to enforce municipal regulations. We remain committed to keeping the city clean and safe." More intensive drives will be launched to catch stray cattle and remove animals left roaming on roads or kept in illegal dairies, he added. LMC officials clarified that operating a dairy within city limits without a licence is illegal. A maximum of two cows may be kept, but with permission, but buffaloes are not allowed under the Municipal Corporation Act, 1959, due to pollution concerns. Lucknow: The teams of Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) initiated action against illegal dairies and encroachment, following a TOI report on cattle menace published on Monday. The drive was carried out in many areas, mainly along G-20 Road near Janeshwar Mishra Park in the Gomti Nagar Extension area. The drive led to the seizure of 16 buffaloes and 1 cow, which were sent to the municipal animal shelter (Kanji House) in Thakurganj. The animals will only be released after fines are paid, and the action is expected to bring in around Rs 3,25,000 in penalties. According to LMC officials, several complaints were received about unauthorized dairies and encroachment in the area. Dr Abhinav Verma, Animal Welfare Officer, said, "We received several complaints from residents about stray animals affecting both traffic and public health. Following these complaints and media reports, we initiated strict action to enforce municipal regulations. We remain committed to keeping the city clean and safe." More intensive drives will be launched to catch stray cattle and remove animals left roaming on roads or kept in illegal dairies, he added. LMC officials clarified that operating a dairy within city limits without a licence is illegal. A maximum of two cows may be kept, but with permission, but buffaloes are not allowed under the Municipal Corporation Act, 1959, due to pollution concerns.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Time of India
Tackle stray cattle menace in city, residents urge LMC
Lucknow: Stepping outside the house in Lucknow often means encountering a large bull or cow, unmoving on the road. This is a common scene, as residents grow frustrated with the unchecked presence of stray cattle. Despite efforts by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) and the establishment of cow shelters (gaushalas), citizens say the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate. Encounters with roaming cattle have become routine, with incidents reported every other day across various localities. Large groups of stray cattle were observed flocking on roads across various parts of the city—including Aliganj, Mahanagar, Triveni Nagar, Ashiyana, Gomti Nagar, and Alambagh—as well as in the congested lanes of Rakabganj and the old city areas, according to a reality check conducted by TOI. These neighbourhoods have previously reported cases of cattle-related injuries, adding to the urgency for action. Notably, a 91-year-old man, Rameshwar Prasad Kashyap, lost his life on May 23 while escaping from the range of a bull fight in Triveninagar. Several other incidents are reported due to collisions with cattle in the city. Sant Ram Gupta, a shop owner in Aliganj, said, "The number of stray animals, especially cows and bulls, just keeps going up. We face problems in our businesses every day. They often damage goods kept outside." Balram Singh, a local resident, added, "We haven't seen any real drop in their numbers. If anything, they seem to be increasing, making it risky to drive—especially after dark." The issue isn't just an inconvenience. Stray cattle frequently feed from open garbage piles, block roads, and lounge on green spaces, often bringing traffic to a standstill. Their presence is particularly dangerous at night when visibility is low and the chances of accidents increase. Sarika Awasthi, a homemaker from Rakabganj, said, "We need proper shelters and care facilities for these animals—not just for their sake, but for public safety too. This is something we expect the LMC to take seriously. Otherwise, what's the point of having gaushalas in the city?" Mukesh Singh Chauhan, corporator and opposition leader in the LMC House, said, "The gaushala in Kanha Upvan is overcrowded. The new gaushala is yet to be completed; residents are left to deal with the fatal incidents happening around the city. LMC administration is least bothered about the cattle menace in the city." Abhinav Verma, animal welfare officer, LMC, said, "We will soon carry out special drive to keep the city free of stray animals. A total of 65 cows, 8 calves, 41 buffaloes, and 7 buffalo calves have been seized this year and Rs 9,17,000 have been collected as fine."
