I don’t know why you bring up being able to see the dwarf galaxy at night as a qualifier. The dwarf galaxy I’m talking about seems to be Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy
I don’t know why you bring up being able to see the dwarf galaxy at night as a qualifier.
Because a whole ass galaxy should be visible, I would think, but I also asked how small we’re talking — maybe it wouldn’t be visible. You know?
Anyway,
The Sagittarius dwarf galaxy, a small satellite of the Milky Way that is leaving a stream of stars behind as an effect of our Galaxy’s gravitational tug, is visible as an elongated feature below the Galactic centre and pointing in the downwards direction in the all-sky map of the density of stars observed by ESA’s Gaia mission between July 2014 to May 2016.
Scientists analysing data from Gaia’s second release have shown our Milky Way galaxy is still enduring the effects of a near collision that set millions of stars moving like ripples on a pond. The close encounter likely took place sometime in the past 300–900 million years, and the culprit could be the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy.
Seems like it was only a near collision eons ago, but maybe it’s still on a an absorption path to be consumed by The Milky Way in the future. Cool, didn’t know about that.
Haven’t even begun colliding though. We can still see it way in the distance. It’s millions/billions of years away until colliding.
Imagine the night sky far in galactic future when Andromeda is like directly overhead at night. What an amazing view. Shame earth wouldn’t be around to see it.
Aren’t we currently galaxy merging?
Our galaxy is capturing smaller galaxies but there won’t be a merge of equal sizes for a couple billion years with andromeda.
2-5bn years with andromeda, not even close.
Thank you but I didn’t mean andromeda. I think heard something about merging with a dwarf galaxy or something
https://youtu.be/xZUYtRF_pw0
You are correct! Here’s a really good video on the topic.
You’d think we would be able to see a dwarf galaxy approaching close to our galaxy at night? Or how dwarfey are we talking?
I don’t know why you bring up being able to see the dwarf galaxy at night as a qualifier. The dwarf galaxy I’m talking about seems to be Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy
Because a whole ass galaxy should be visible, I would think, but I also asked how small we’re talking — maybe it wouldn’t be visible. You know?
Anyway,
Seems like it was only a near collision eons ago, but maybe it’s still on a an absorption path to be consumed by The Milky Way in the future. Cool, didn’t know about that.
https://youtu.be/xZUYtRF_pw0
Here is a great video talking about the dwarf galaxies around the milky way and how they have shaped and affected our galaxy.
With Andromeda, yes
Haven’t even begun colliding though. We can still see it way in the distance. It’s millions/billions of years away until colliding.
Imagine the night sky far in galactic future when Andromeda is like directly overhead at night. What an amazing view. Shame earth wouldn’t be around to see it.
Only a few short galactic years off!
Oh god. Thanks for that midlife crisis!
Yes we are in middle of a multi million year process of merging of the bigger Andromeda galaxy and our Milky Way galaxy.