Recent research published in Nature Astronomy challenges the long-held belief that the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies are destined to collide in 5 billion years. This new analysis presents a 50% probability that they might avoid merging over the next 10 billion years, instead of the previously accepted deterministic scenario. The study utilized extensive data from the Hubble Space Telescope and ESA's Gaia, alongside Monte Carlo simulations, to achieve these results, indicating that the fate of these galaxies is uncertain and hinges on various complex dynamical factors.
"Predicting future mergers requires knowledge about the present coordinates, velocities, and masses of the systems partaking in the interaction."
"Based on the best available data, the fate of our galaxy is still completely open."
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