Spitzer Reveals that M32 had Head-On Collision with Andromeda Galaxy
Astronomers have new evidence that the Andromeda Spiral Galaxy (M31) was involved in a violent head-on collision with the neighboring dwarf galaxy Messier 32 (M32) more than 200 million years ago. The presence of both inner and outer dust rings suggests that M32 plunged through the disk of Andromeda along Andromeda's polar axis approximately 210 million years ago.
Comments:
Just goes to show that the Universe is often *Messier* than we think <img class='' src='http://new.astromart.com/astromart/javascripts/sceditor/emoticons/grin.png' alt='grin' title='grin'/> .<br><br>Jess Tauber
OK, so Andromeda and Milky Way will collide in 3+ Billion years. Where will M32 be then?
I wouldn't worry too much about the big collision- Bruce Willis will blow Andromeda up....<br><br>The little guy, though, will likely have been absorbed by big mama by then.<br><br>Jess Tauber
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