[Pragmatic]

When Our Galaxy Smashes Into Andromeda, What Happens to the Sun? | Universe Today
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..."When astronomers look into the night sky, almost every single galaxy is speeding away from us, carried by the expansion of the Universe. There's one notable exception; though, the massive Andromeda galaxy (aka M31), which is speeding towards us at a rate of 120 km/s. And some time in the next few billion years, our two galaxies will collide and begin the lengthly process of merging together. Our Sun, and even the Earth should still be around, so it begs the question, what will happen to our Solar System?"...


Is our galaxy merging on the sly? | Deseret News (Salt Lake City) | Find Articles at BNET

Is our galaxy merging on the sly?


WASHINGTON -- A previously unrecognized galaxy appears to be merging with the Milky Way, bringing hundreds of thousands of stars into our home galaxy that no one has noticed until now, astronomers announced Monday.

A survey of the northern sky has detected a huge but diffuse structure within the confines of the Milky Way that does not seem to fit in with other parts of the galaxy that contains our solar system.

..."Robert H. Lupton of Princeton University told a meeting of the American Astronomical Society that the large but faint collection of stars rises almost perpendicular to the flat, spiral disk of the Milky Way. The most likely interpretation of the structure, the astronomer said, is that it is a dwarf galaxy that has been merging with our galaxy....."