collision between the LMC and Milky Way tagged posts

Catastrophic Galactic Collision could send Solar System flying into space

Photo of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds over a smoking volcano at Bromo Semeru Tengger National Park, Java, Indonesia
Here are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, from Gilbert Vancell Nature Photography in November 2018

New research led by astrophysicists at Durham University, UK, predicts that the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) could hit the Milky Way in two billion years’ time. The collision could occur much earlier than the predicted impact between the Milky Way and another neighbouring galaxy, Andromeda, which scientists say will hit our galaxy in eight billion years.

The catastrophic coming together with the Large Magellanic Cloud could wake up our galaxy’s dormant black hole, which would begin devouring surrounding gas and increase in size by up to ten times.

As it feeds, the now-active black hole would throw out high-energy radiation and while these cosmic fireworks are unlikely to a...

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