Triple Galaxy Merger in Progress Captured by Hubble Telescope 682 Million Light-Years Away From Earth
Galactic mergers are events that have been observed many times by astronomers in space. However, one captured by the Hubble telescope in 2022 attracted special attention because of its similarity to a massive predicted collision, stated Newsweek.
The merger was first discovered by French astronomer Stephane Javelle on February 24, 1896. It is situated around 682 million light-years from Earth in Cancer. Officials have labelled it IC 2431, and for the first time, it has been photographed by the Hubble Telescope.
Along with the merger, the image also features a tumultuous mixture of star formation and tidal distortions, according to Hubble. Experts think these phenomena are caused by gravitational clashes between these three galaxies. The centre of the image appears to be obscured by a thick cloud of dust. Some light is visible in its outer extremities are a result of light from a background galaxy. The image was captured as part of a programme organized by the Galaxy Zoo citizen science project. In the project, researchers were investigating 'wonderful' and 'weird' galaxies of the universe.
Researchers believe in this merger, like other similar ones, that gas from the neighboring galaxies will collide and condense, according to Space. The processes will lead to the creation of new stars, which will be a part of the new galaxy. The newly formed galaxy will also carry the past stars of the clashing galaxies, though some may be ejected in the process. There is a chance that the gravitational energy of the three galaxies will warp the path of these stars, but there is so much space between each of them that a clash would be highly unlikely, as per experts. Seemingly violent, but such collisions are common in space and have led to many noteworthy structures, including possibly the Milky Way Galaxy.
In 2012, another set of Hubble telescope data also predicted that the Milky Way will also undergo a similar collision, according to Astronomy. The events of IC 2431 could be repeated in the Milky Way's head-on collision. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope tracked the motion of stars in Andromeda and confirmed that it will collide with the Milky Way Galaxy.
Hubble Telescope data also determined that the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies will collide with each other four billion years from now, stated NASA. The clash would supposedly be so massive that it would bring irrevocable destruction to both galaxies. Researchers speculate that the thin disc shape of these galaxies will not only start distorting, but also, in a span of two billion years, will merge. Another galaxy called Triangulum could also be involved in the collision. Some models suggest that this galaxy would eventually move away from the merged elliptical galaxy, while some state that it will participate in the collision.
As per calculations by experts, there is a 12% chance that the solar system will be ejected by this newly formed elliptical galaxy, according to Astronomy Magazine. Despite this insight, most astronomers don't believe that the Solar System will suffer much damage. As far as humanity is concerned, scientists don't think there is a great chance, it will survive until that event.