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This article shows that the future merging of the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies may be sooner than previously thought:
Recent analysis of past observations made by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope have found a massive halo of hot, heavy gas surrounding our neighboring galaxy, Andromeda. This expansive mass of material around Andromeda could mean that it will begin merging with the Milky Way ahead of schedule.
In fact, the articles goes on to say the merge may have already begun if the Milky Way contains a similarly sized halo.
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Andromeda may be Closer than Previously Thought
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Anyone can make an omelet with eggs. The trick is to make one with none.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Covalent on Monday May 11 2015, @12:09PM
Does this discovery have any bearing on the calculations regarding dark matter? If this halo surrounds Andromeda, then perhaps such a halo also surrounds all galaxies. Would such a halo make a dent into the "missing matter"?
I can't wait until the Dark Matter / Dark Energy mystery is solved. "We can see it, detect it, or know what it's made of, but we know it's there..." situation is awful.
You can't rationally argue somebody out of a position they didn't rationally get into.
(Score: 3, Informative) by q.kontinuum on Monday May 11 2015, @12:18PM
I'm by no means a specialist, but in a documentary I saw they mentioned that some information on the distribution of the dark matter is available. [space.com] I guess if dark matter could be explained by halos around galaxies, we would have estimated the galaxies that much heavier in the first place.
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