• Question: Why do galaxies collide and when happens after they have?

    Asked by to Nate on 16 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Nate Bastian

      Nate Bastian answered on 16 Jun 2014:

      Galaxies collide because of gravity, basically they are drawn together. Since galaxies have a wide range of sizes (we live in a relatively large spiral galaxies), in most cases the “collision” results in a smaller galaxy being “eaten” by the larger galaxy. The Milky Way has done this relatively recently with the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy (type that into google and see the amazing images that come up).

      When large galaxies collide, like the Milky Way will with our neighbour, the Andromeda galaxy in about 2 billion years, the often trigger the formation of millions of new stars. The two galaxies will “stick” together, and become an entirely new galaxy.

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