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Name: Daniel
Status: other
Grade: other
Location: NV
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
If a large galaxy was moving faster than another close to it, and moving in the same direction, would the slower and smaller galaxy soon crash into or follow closely due to the gravity pull of the bigger galaxy?

Replies:
Dear Daniel,

Good question. If a small galaxy is orbiting a bigger one, depending on the type of motion it might collide with the bigger one. This seems to happen pretty commonly. Our Milky Way is swallowing up some small galaxies, and may swallow its companions someday, the Magellanic Clouds. It and its bigger neighbor Andromeda may collide also in the future.

David Levy


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