The Mind-Blowing Facts About The Andromeda Galaxy
Back in College, I used to be fascinated by the cosmos and its mind-blowing facts. I spent so much time learning some facts about the universe, even though this was not my major (I was a Chemistry major).
Recently, I found myself going down a rabbit hole about one of the most fascinating galaxies: The Andromeda Galaxy. Andromeda Galaxy is a massive spiral galaxy and one of the closest galaxies to our Milky Way. Below are two facts about the galaxy that I found absolutely mind-blowing:
- Distance from earth: The Andromeda Galaxy is located 2.54 million light-years from Earth. The Andromeda Galaxy is one of the brightest objects in the night sky and can be seen with the naked eye in a dark sky. When you see its light, that means you are seeing the light that has been traveling at the speed of light for the past 2.54 million years. Another way to think about it is that when you see the light of Andromeda in the sky, you are practically looking at the light that left the galaxy 2.54 million years ago(!). Let that sink in.
- Velocity and collision with the Milky Way galaxy: The Andromeda Galaxy is moving towards the Milky Way (where our solar system is) at a speed of approximately 110 kilometers per second. At this rate, it is expected to collide with the Milky Way in around 4.5 billion years, forming a new galaxy called "Milkomeda" or “Milkdromeda.” This is one of the facts that are hard to wrap our heads around.
If you need a quick journey through the Andromeda Galaxy, watch this short YouTube video.