Our Milky Way Galaxy alone contains billions of stars and a large number of planets. Yet we are just a small speck in the universe. To get to the nearest galaxy, we would have to travel a distance of 2.5 million light-years. What will you find there? The Andromeda Galaxy, a galaxy that, like the Milky Way, is part of the so-called Local Group. What do we know about our space neighbor? Learn about the Andromeda Galaxy in five facts.
1. The Adromeda Galaxy will merge with the Milky Way in four billion years
It will take some time, but it is inevitable that the Andromeda Galaxy will collide and merge with the Milky Way. Scientists expect this clash between galaxies to occur in more than four billion years. Life forms still on Earth by then probably wouldn’t notice much of the impact. The stars are so far apart that actual stellar collisions rarely occur when two galaxies merge.
2. You can see the Andromeda Galaxy with the naked eye
The Andromeda Galaxy is 2.5 million light-years away from our Sun. However, you can see this galaxy with the naked eye, even from the Netherlands. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Adromeda Galaxy is best seen in fall and winter, especially November. Don’t expect a big space scene: you’ll only see a blurry line of light. But remember: this line represents trillions of stars.
3. More stars, but less dark matter
The Andromeda Galaxy contains many more stars than the Milky Way, which contains “only” 250 billion stars. It has therefore long been thought that the Andromeda Galaxy is much larger than the Milky Way. However, a 2018 study from the University of Western Australia contradicts this. The Australian research team discovered that the galaxies have approximately equal masses. How is this possible? The Milky Way Galaxy will contain much more dark matter than the Andromeda Galaxy.
4. Andromeda stars orbit around a massive black hole
At the center of our galaxy lies Sagittarius A*, a massive black hole from which nothing can escape. If you fell into a black hole, your entire body would fall apart like strands of spaghetti. Also at the center of the Andromeda Galaxy is a black hole much larger than Sagittarius A*. It is estimated that the mass of this black hole is 140 million times the mass of our sun.
5. The Andromeda Galaxy has one candidate planet
Our solar system contains eight planets and a few dwarfs such as Pluto. Moreover, we have already discovered thousands of exoplanets. But all of these planets are part of our galaxy. What about the planets in the Andromeda Galaxy? It is very likely that it exists. The system contains billions of stars around which planets can orbit. So far, only one candidate planet has been spotted in Andromeda’s trap. Scientists have named this potential planet PA-99-N2. Is it really a planet and is life possible there? This needs further investigation.
Willick Van Doorn studied journalism, traveled the world for a while, and eventually ended up in the editorial offices of Quest, National Geographic, and Runner’s World across the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. She is interested in the world, prefers to travel every month and always takes her running shoes with her.
