Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
The Milky Way’s future holds a terrifying possibility—a collision with its neighbor that could rip apart stars, planets, and perhaps even Earth. The chaos would be nothing short of cosmic obliteration.
Credit: NASA
Scientists captured the violent collision of two galaxies 290 million light-years away. Hurtling at 2 million mph, one galaxy slammed into another, unleashing shockwaves powerful enough to tear apart atoms.
Credit: NASA
The collision released energy so immense it stripped electrons from atoms, leaving trails of glowing gas. Hydrogen reserves were torn away, halting the formation of new stars in the aftermath of the chaos.
This event occurred in Stephan’s Quintet, a group of five galaxies caught in a deadly dance. First observed in 1877, its violent collisions are a haunting glimpse into the universe’s destructive potential.
The galactic clash lasted over 10,000 years. Traveling through space for 285 million years, its light only recently reached us, showing the aftermath of destruction frozen in time.
Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
The shock front from the collision traveled at 980,000 mph, compressing gas and creating immense pressure waves. The sight, mapped using WEAVE and LOFAR telescopes, is both beautiful and terrifying.
Drawn by gravitational forces, NGC 7318b crashed into NGC 7318a, tearing apart everything in its path. Despite the stars remaining largely unaffected, the gas and matter suffered irreparable devastation.
This isn’t just a distant spectacle. In 10 billion years, the Milky Way could collide with Andromeda, forming "Milkdromeda." The chaos could send planets—including Earth—into uncharted orbits.
The shock of galactic collisions reveals a grim truth: no galaxy is safe. While humanity may not live to see it, such violent encounters could one day reshape our corner of the universe in catastrophic ways.