Can 2 galaxies merge?

The merging of galaxies will radically affect their shape. For example, two spiral galaxies can merge and form an elliptical galaxy. Sometimes even more than two galaxies can collide with each other. Although galaxies have a lot of starts, it is very unlikely that starts from both galaxies actually collide.

What force draws two galaxies together?

Galaxies are held together by mutual gravity and orbit around a common center. Interactions between galaxies is quite common, especially between giant and satellite galaxies.

When two galaxies collide they can create this type of galaxy?

elliptical galaxy
The combination of the two galaxies then forms what appears to be an elliptical galaxy as the arms begin to disappear. The merger of gasses creates new stars, and the new shape becomes more elliptical, globular, or sometimes irregular. The merger can create a new supergalaxy.

Are all galaxies held together by gravity?

Galaxies are composed of stars, dust and dark matter, all held together by gravity. Astronomers aren’t certain exactly how galaxies formed. After the Big Bang, space was made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium.

When two galaxies collide with each other they are disrupted by?

The force of gravity is enough to distort the shapes of galaxies as they encounter one another.

How do galaxies hold together?

Galaxies are sprawling systems of dust, gas, dark matter, and anywhere from a million to a trillion stars that are held together by gravity. Nearly all large galaxies are thought to also contain supermassive black holes at their centers.

What is it called when galaxies merge together?

Galaxy mergers can occur when two (or more) galaxies collide. They are the most violent type of galaxy interaction. Galaxy mergers are important because the merger rate is a fundamental measurement of galaxy evolution. The merger rate also provides astronomers with clues about how galaxies bulked up over time.

How can galaxies collide in an expanding universe?

Dr. Kaku: Yes, the universe is expanding but it is still possible that galaxies collide. This is because galaxies which are very close together attract each other gravitationally, counteracting the repulsive force of the expanding universe. This is the force which is pushing the galaxies apart.

What type of galaxies are held together by gravity?

Globular clusters are spherical groups of old stars held tightly together by gravity. Galaxies are collections of millions to many billions of stars. Spiral galaxies have a rotating disk of stars and dust, a bulge in the middle, and several arms spiraling out from the center.

What causes galaxies to form?

Galaxies are thought to begin as small clouds of stars and dust swirling through space. As other clouds get close, gravity sends these objects careening into one another and knits them into larger spinning packs.

How do galaxies interact with each other?

Such interactions can also trigger a small amount of star formation. When the galaxies collide, it causes vast clouds of hydrogen to collect and become compressed, which can trigger a series of gravitational collapses. A galaxy collision also causes a galaxy to age prematurely, since much of its gas is converted into stars.

What happens to stars when two galaxies merge?

Stars will be thrown out of the galaxy, others will be destroyed as they crash into the merging supermassive black holes. And the delicate spiral structure of both galaxies will be destroyed as they become a single, giant, elliptical galaxy.

Are galaxies moving apart at an ever increasing rate?

On scales larger than galaxy clusters, all galaxies are indeed moving apart at an ever increasing rate. The mutual gravitational attraction between two galaxies at that distance is too small to have a significant effect, so the galaxies more or less follow the general flow of the expansion.

What is the theory of galaxy formation?

Galaxy Formation. There are two leading theories to explain how the first galaxies formed. The truth may involve a bit of both ideas. One says that galaxies were born when vast clouds of gas and dust collapsed under their own gravitational pull, allowing stars to form.