Journey to the Andromeda Galaxy [4K]

SEA・22 minutes read

The Andromeda galaxy, visible to the naked eye, was initially mistaken for a nebula within the Milky Way and later confirmed as its own galaxy by Edwin Hubble in 1924. With a vast structure and over 20 satellite galaxies, Andromeda is set to collide with the Milky Way, forming a new supergiant galaxy called Milkomodo in the future.

Insights

  • The Andromeda galaxy, initially thought to be a nebula within the Milky Way, was confirmed as a separate galaxy by Edwin Hubble in 1924 through the observation of pulsating cepheid variable stars, settling a long-standing debate.
  • Andromeda's impending collision with the Milky Way, indicated by its blue tinge and movement towards us, will lead to the formation of a new supergiant elliptical galaxy named Milkomodo, marking a significant event in the evolution of the local group of galaxies.

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Recent questions

  • What is the Andromeda galaxy?

    A barred spiral galaxy visible to the naked eye.

  • How far is the Andromeda galaxy from Earth?

    Approximately 2.56 million light years away.

  • What is the structure of the Andromeda galaxy?

    A barred spiral galaxy with over a trillion stars.

  • What is the future of the Andromeda galaxy?

    It will collide with the Milky Way.

  • What interesting objects are found within the Andromeda galaxy?

    Black holes, neutron stars, and potential exoplanets.

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Summary

00:00

Andromeda Galaxy: History, Structure, and Satellites

  • The Andromeda galaxy is visible to the naked eye and was discovered long before the existence of other galaxies was known, initially mistaken for a nebula within the Milky Way.
  • Early mentions of the Andromeda galaxy date back to 964 A.D. in a Persian philosopher's book, with further detailed observations made after the invention of the telescope in the 1600s.
  • The debate over the nature of the Andromeda galaxy, whether it was a nebula or a separate galaxy, culminated in the Great Debate of 1920 between Heber Curtis and Harlow Shapley.
  • Edwin Hubble settled the debate in 1924 by measuring pulsating cepheid variable stars within Andromeda, confirming it to be more than a million light years away and its own galaxy.
  • Andromeda offers a unique opportunity for studying a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from an external perspective, with NASA's space observatories regularly surveying it.
  • Andromeda is a barred spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way, formed around 10 billion years ago, with a vast elongated structure and a stellar population exceeding a trillion stars.
  • The galaxy's distance from Earth is approximately 2.56 million light years, and it is surrounded by a diffuse halo of plasma extending 1.3 million light years.
  • Andromeda hosts over 20 satellite galaxies, including M32, M110, and M33, which have interacted with Andromeda in the past, shaping its structure and halo.
  • M32 is a small dwarf elliptical galaxy with a supermassive black hole, while M110 is a larger elliptical satellite galaxy, both having interacted with Andromeda.
  • M33, the Triangulum Galaxy, is a dwarf spiral galaxy possibly interacting with Andromeda, with its 40 billion stars destined to be absorbed or ejected from the local group in the future.

20:11

Andromeda: Massive Cluster, Future Collision, New Galaxy

  • Male 2 is Andromeda's most massive known cluster, potentially not a true globular cluster but the disrupted heart of a proto-galaxy.
  • Male 2's outer layers were stripped away, leaving its galactic core bound by a central intermediate mass black hole of 20,000 solar masses.
  • In 1999, scientists detected a possible exoplanet within Andromeda through a microlensing event, suggesting billions of planets orbiting its stars.
  • Dozens of black hole candidates and possibly neutron stars have been discovered within Andromeda, including a supermassive black hole at its center.
  • Andromeda's galactic core is split into two regions, with P2 containing a supermassive black hole over a hundred million times the mass of the sun.
  • Andromeda's blue tinge is due to blueshift, indicating its movement towards us at 110 kilometers per second, leading to an eventual collision with the Milky Way.
  • The merger of Andromeda and the Milky Way will result in a new supergiant elliptical galaxy named Milkomodo, marking the final phase of the local group's evolution.
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