Journey to the Andromeda Galaxy [4K]
SEA・3 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.
