เหตุการณ์ใน-นอกโลก VS ภัยธรรมชาติ และupdate พายุสุริยะ

เจอดาวอะไรกลมๆ ด้านล่างซ้าย

 

CME TARGETS MARS: The magnetic canopy of sunspot AR1492 erupted on May 27th at 0551UT, producing a long-duration C3-class solar flare and hurling a coronal mass ejection (CME) toward Mars. Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab say the cloud will hit the MSL spacecraft (containing Mars rover [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E99YYNN9EGQ"]Curiosity[/ame]) on May 31st at 0100 UT followed by Mars itself about 10 hours later.

SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids

 

<table style="display: table; " border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1" style="margin: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: right; font-size: 10pt; " align="right">May 29, 2012

</td></tr></tbody></table><table style="margin-bottom: 5px; display: table; " border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" height="120" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1" style="margin: 0px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; background-color: rgb(153, 153, 0); font-size: 20pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 0); text-align: center; " align="center" bgcolor="#999900" width="99%">UPDATE 2: Day-9 Post
Solar Eclipse Events
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by Mitch Battros - Earth Changes Media

We are now at day 9 post solar eclipse of May 20th. Although the past 8 days since 'update 1' indicate significant earth changing events, they have not reached the level of historical fallout related to prior and post eclipse events.

History indicates a 14 day window just prior to eclipse events and/or 14 days after the event. See article:"Solar Eclipse May 20th - History Says Earthquakes May Follow".
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Below is a list of earth changing events beginning with day 2 (bottom) until today (day 9).
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Tropical Storm 'Bud' Churns at Sea Off Mexico's Pacific Coast

Tropical Storm Bud churned at sea off Mexico's southern Pacific coast with top winds unchanged at 40 miles per hour (65 kilometers per hour), the National Hurricane Center said. The storm was moving northwestward at 12 mph about 420 miles south-southwest of the resort port of Manzanillo, Mexico, the Miami-based center said today in a 2 a.m. PDT advisory.

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/KdTQnn



Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake Hit Hokkaido, Japan Region

Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake Hit Hokkaido, Japan Region on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 15:02:25 UTC/12:02:25 AM at epicenter. Location - 41.378°N, 142.073°E ; Depth - 40.7 km (25.3 miles). Distances - 107 km (66 miles) NNE of Hachinohe, Honshu, Japan.

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/JUFZUS



Center: Tropical Storm 'Bud' Could Become Hurricane

Forecasters say Tropical Storm Bud is moving far off of Mexico's Pacific coast and could develop into a hurricane overnight or later Thursday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says it has not issued any coastal watches or warnings but says those along Mexico's southwestern coast should monitor Bud's progress.

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/MuKMva



NASA Sees Tropical Storm 'Sanvu' Continue To Intensify

Two NASA satellites have provided infrared and rainfall data that has shown Tropical Storm Sanvu continues to intensify as it heads toward Iwo To, Japan. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has scanned rainfall rates, and NASA's Aqua satellite has provided a look at cloud temperatures which indicates where the strongest thunderstorms and heaviest rainfall is occurring.

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/MuKR1Y



Costa Rica Volcano Spews Smoke and Ash

Emergency officials in Costa Rica say they have moved some residents away from a volcano outside the capital after it spewed toxic gas and ash, signs of a potentially imminent eruption. Costa Rican authorities have raised the alert level for the Turrialba volcano, after it started spewing smoke and ash into the atmosphere. The country's National Seismology Network raised the level to yellow, indicating an eruption is imminent.

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/K04mAx



NASA Sees Hurricane 'Bud' Threaten Western Mexico's Coast

NASA's TRMM satellite passed above Hurricane Bud on May 25 at 12:49 a.m. EDT/U.S. and it saw a large area of moderate to heavy rainfall with rates of over 30mm/hr (~1.2 inches). Bud's past and predicted locations are shown overlaid in white. Heavy rainfall is indicated in red, falling at 2 inches/50 mm/hr.

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/MD6YDr



Typhoon 'Sanvu' Affecting Iwo To

Infrared and visible imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite taken on May 25, 2012, showed an impressive Typhoon Sanvu already affecting the islands of Iwo To and Chichi Jima, Japan. The typhoon is expected to run into cooler waters and become extra-tropical over the next several days.

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/K7Tuk4



Tropical Storm 'Beryl' Threatens Southeast Coast With Heavy Rain, Winds

Tropical Storm Beryl closed in on the southeastern U.S. coast on Sunday, dumping rain and whipping up heavy surf from northeastern Florida to South Carolina. The second named storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season was expected to make landfall later on Sunday with possible wind gusts to hurricane force, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/Kgdy3D



Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake Hit Bonin Islands, Japan Region

Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake Hit Bonin Islands, Japan Region on Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 21:48:09 UTC/07:48:09 AM at epicenter/. Location - 26.876°N, 140.214°E ; Depth - 472.6 km (293.7 miles). Distances - 201 km (124 miles) W of Chichi-shima, Bonin Islands, Japan ; 255 km (158 miles) NNW of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, Japan.

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/MRjfo1



'Creeping Quakes' Rumble New Zealand: Researchers

Researchers have discovered New Zealand's earthquake-prone landscape is even more unstable than previously thought, recording deep tremors lasting up to 30 minutes on its biggest fault line. Scientists measured the so-called "creeping earthquakes" when they investigated a puzzling lack of major seismic jolts along a section of the Alpine Fault, which runs the length of the South Island.

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/KgpiTP



Strong Quake Strikes Northern Argentina

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck northern Argentina early on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake occurred at 2:07 a.m. local time (1.07 a.m. EDT) and was centered 72 miles east-southeast of Santiago del Estero, the USGS said. Police in the town said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the quake, which was upgraded from an initial 6.3.

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/MXQG8e



Tropical Storm 'Beryl' Makes Landfall

The remains of Tropical Storm Beryl soaked beach vacations and some Memorial Day remembrance services in southern Georgia and northern Florida on Monday and knocked out power to tens of thousands, though emergency officials said it hasn't brought any major damage.

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/MXZqLG



15 Dead In Latest Killer Quake In Northern Italy

A powerful earthquake killed at least 15 people and left 200 injured Tuesday as it rocked a swath of northern Italy. Factories, warehouses and churches collapsed, dealing a second blow to a region where thousands are still homeless from another temblor just nine days ago. The 5.8 magnitude quake left 14,000 people homeless in the Emilia Romagna region north of Bologna, one of Italy's most agriculturally and industrially productive areas.

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/N698vx



Colombia's Ruiz Volcano Begins Rumbling; Nearby Airports Shut

Colombia warned Tuesday of a possible eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano after it began rumbling and spewing gas, sending ashes onto cities and towns in the nearby coffee-growing region. The government's geology and mining oversight institute Ingeominas said in a statement it raised the warning level to orange from yellow, which means an eruption is possible in days or weeks. The increased seismic activity began at around 3 a.m. local time (4 a.m. EDT).

FULL ARTICLE - http://bit.ly/Kr2d0M​

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Coronal Holes: 30 May 12 <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td></td> </tr> </tbody></table> A large coronal hole is emerging over the sun's eastern limb. Solar wind flowing from the opening should reach Earth on June 6-7. Credit: SDO/AIA.

 

CANVAS FOR A TRANSIT: In only 6 days, Venus will pass in front of the sun, marking the solar disk like the tip of a black-dipped paint brush drawn slowly across the stellar surface. If the transit is indeed like a painting, here is the canvas:

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Alan Friedman took the picture from his backyard observatory in Buffalo, NY, on May 28th. "I was getting my ducks in a row for a trip west to observe the transit of Venus, practicing with a new camera and new laptop on the Memorial Day sun," he says. "There was lots of activity to see, including an ejection of plasma from active region 1492."

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"What treats will the sun put out when Venus pays a visit next week?" Friedman wonders. Stay tuned.​

more images: from Sergio Castillo of Inglewood, California; from Rijk-Jan Koppejan of Middelburg, the Netherlands; from Randy Shivak of Anthem, AZ; from Andre van der Hoeven of HI-Ambacht, the Netherlands; from Dennis Cumberland of Fort St. James B.C. ​

VENUS SLENDERIZES: As Venus approaches the sun for a [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nXv9YvkNyA"]much-anticipated transit[/ame] on June 5-6, the second planet is turning its night side toward Earth. Seen through a telescope, all that remains of Venus is a vanishingly-slender crescent:​

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Pete Lawrence of Selsey, UK, took the picture in broad daylight on May 28th: "This beautiful planet has just slipped below 2.7% phase on it's way to the historic transit on June 5/6. We had clear sunny weather today, so I was able to capture Venus in daylight conditions."​

In words and a picture, he explains how he accomplished the daytime shot: "Sun shields were erected to shade the main telescope. In addition, the main tube was wrapped in aluminium foil in an attempt to keep it cool and prevent internal air currents from distorting the view. Note the proper solar filter--i.e. not foil!--covering the full aperture."​

The crescent of Venus could soon become a ring. When Venus is less than few degrees away from the sun, the horns of the crescent soetimes reach around and touch, producing a complete annulus. The effect is caused by sunlight-scatteriing particles in upper layers of Venus's atmosphere. It is very difficult to observe, and often only black-belt astrophotographers are able to record the phenomenon. ​

Keep an eye on SpaceWeather's realtime photo gallery to see how Venus shape-shifts in the days ahead.



SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids​

 

<table class="MsoTableGrid" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="126">วันที่
</td> <td valign="top" width="204"> แนวเรียงตัวของดาวเคราะห์
</td> <td valign="top" width="159"> ติดตามผลกระทบที่โลก
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<table class="MsoTableGrid" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="126">31 พฤษภาคม
</td> <td valign="top" width="204"> ดวงอาทิตย์ ดาวพุธ ท้างช้างเผือก
</td> <td valign="top" width="159"> 30 พฤษภาคม – 1 มิถุนายน
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Credit จับตาการเรียงตัวของดาวเคราะห์ช่วงวันที่ 1 ถึง 31 พฤษภาคม คศ 2012 : update 30 พฤษภาคม คศ 2012 11:15 UTC | Truth4Thai.org

 

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</td></tr></tbody></table><table style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 204); margin-bottom: 5px; display: table; " border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" height="120" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1" style="margin: 0px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; background-color: rgb(153, 153, 0); font-size: 20pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 0); text-align: center; " align="center" bgcolor="#999900" width="99%">(Part 1) Mayan Text, Milky Way

Galaxy, and Cosmic Rays ​

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by Mitch Battros - Earth Changes Media

New scientific information is just being released which connects the center of our galaxy 'Milky Way', with our solar system and with Earth. In current language now being used by ancient text scholars, most specifically in Mayan scribes (but not exclusively), also describes a connection between what is referred to as the "galactic center" and our solar system.
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What I am about to express may be exciting to some, unsettling to others, and fearful to a few. Let's remember to use our gift of 'discernment' and skill of 'critical thinking'. Just because I proceed with conviction of fact and truth - does not make it "the truth", it only makes it "my truth." However, it is not uncommon for people to share a reality.

New scientific research which is just now being published,highlight's new data retrieved from Russian, Italian, German, US, and Swedish spacecraft - all of which are directed to observe a spectrum of charged particles. More specifically, they set to target gamma-rays and galactic cosmic-rays. The spacecraft used are 1) PAMELA 2) AGILE 3) FERMI
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Related Article: ​

"Gamma-Ray Beams Blast from Milky Way's Center"
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I believe I have stumbled into segmented resources of which standing on their own would not develop a theory. But when assimilated into a single direction, form a linage which may tell us, in today's language, what our Mayan (and many others) has always known. This happened when doing research on my first book 'Solar Rain: The Earth Changes Have Begun'. I discovered what has become a common problem in today's society. My break-thru discoveries came forth for the simple reason the right-hand (NASA - space) did not know what the left-hand (NOAA-earth) was doing. Data accumulated by NOAA of Earth and atmosphere, did not transfer to data accumulated of Space by NASA.

First I shall describe the spacecraft involved and a summary of their mission:

PAMELA - (Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration andLight-nuclei Astrophysics)

The Space Mission Pamela represents a state-of-the-art of the investigation of the cosmic radiation, addressing the most compelling issues facing astrophysics and cosmology: the nature of the dark matter that pervades the universe, the apparent absence of cosmological antimatter, the origin and evolution of matter in the galaxy.
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Pamela, a powerful particle identifier using a permanent magnet spectrometer with a variety of specialized detectors, is an instrument of extraordinary scientific potential that is measuring with unprecedented precision and sensitivity the abundance and energy spectra of cosmic rays electrons, positrons, antiprotons and light nuclei over a very large range of energy from 50 MeV to hundreds GeV, depending on the species.

These measurements, together with the complementary electromagnetic radiation observation that will be carried out by AGILE and GLAST space missions, will help to unravel the mysteries of the most energetic processes known in the Universe.

AGILE - (Astro-rivelatore Gamma a Immagini LEggero)

AGILE is an Italian Space Agency mission dedicated to the exploration of the gamma-ray Universe. The AGILE, combines for the first time a gamma-ray imager and a hard X-ray imager. An optimal angular resolution and very large fields of view are obtained by the use of state-of-the-art Silicon detectors integrated in a very compact instrument.
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AGILE was successfully launched on April 23, 2007 from the Indian base of Sriharikota and was inserted in an optimal low-particle background equatorial orbit. AGILE will provide crucial data for the study of Active Galactic Nuclei, Gamma-Ray Bursts, unidentified gamma-ray sources, galactic compact objects, supernova remnants, TeV sources, and fundamental physics by microsecond timing.


FERMI - Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

Fermi is a spacecraft which supports two gamma-ray instruments; the Large Area Telescope (LAT) and the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). Gamma rays are the highest-energy form of light. The LAT is a wide-field gamma-ray telescope that continuously scans the sky, providing all-sky coverage every two orbits. Fermi data will enable scientists to answer persistent questions across a broad range of topics, including super-massive black-hole systems, pulsars, the origin of cosmic rays, and searches for signals of new physics.
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Fermi is often interrupted by regular passages through the South Atlantic Anomaly (a region of high particle backgrounds). The mission is an astrophysics and particle physics partnership, developed by NASA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, along with important contributions from academic institutions and partners in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and the United States.
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From here it begins to get interesting, alarming or perhapsenlightening ........ ​

Coming Tomorrow: (Part II) Galactic Center, Cosmic Rays, and Thunderstorms​

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Coronal Holes: 31 May 12 <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td></td> </tr> </tbody></table> A large coronal hole is emerging over the sun's eastern limb. Solar wind flowing from the opening should reach Earth on June 5-7. Credit: SDO/AIA.

 

<table style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 204); display: table; " border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1" style="margin: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: right; font-size: 10pt; " align="right">June 01, 2012

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(Part II) Galactic Center,​

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Cosmic-Rays, and Thunderstorms​

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by Mitch Battros - Earth Changes Media

New scientific data depicts recently new observations of electromagnetic waves; X-rays, gamma-rays and particle flux, connected with thunderstorm activity have significantly altered the traditional picture of the Earth's atmospheric environment.​

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Strong electrical fields inside thunderclouds give rise to high energy electrons and, consequently, gamma-rays and neutrons. Gamma-rays are currently detected by instruments from low orbiting satellites comprising what is called 'Terrestrial Gamma Flashes' (TGFs).

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Before I continue further into today's scientific findings, I shall layout information regarding what ancient Mayan text describes as a "new element" which will be a contributing factor for what is described as the "transition", bringing us into the 5th world. This new element is really not new at all, at least to its current understanding. It is the element of "Ether". They describe it as "the space between space".
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What the Mayans call the "5th element or new element" of which some text refers to as "ether", is the same as what Christians call "holy spirit", what the Chinese call Chi, the Japanese call Ki, the Indians call Prana and what Luke Skywalker calls "the force".​

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In the year 2012, new scientific research involving String theory, Super-symmetry theory, Ethereal theory, Sub-nuclear theory, and Quantum theory all point in the same direction. Here is where modern science and ancient text join together defining the source which connects all things. It is "charged particles" which is the conduit connecting the universe to our galaxy Milky Way, to our Sun and solar system, to Earth, and to humans.

Is there something shifting in our galaxy which would increase the flow of charged particles towards our Sun, solar system, and Earth? If so, what would it look like?

An assessment of possibilities coming tomorrow in (Part IV) "Galactic Tilt, Cosmic-Ray Spiral, and Transition". This will include a fascinating video produced by NASA depicting a cyclical "heartbeat" of our galactic center and what this might mean for our future.


Cosmic-Rays, Gamma-Rays and Thunderstorms

What I will layout in this segment might be a bit too technical for some, so up-front I will give you a very brief summation. What I am suggesting is a precursor to the full potential effects of a direct cosmic-ray pulse coming from the center of the Milky Way to our Sun, solar system and Earth, is an escalation of prolific thunderstorms displaying electrical charges (lightning) which has not been seen in hundreds, if not thousands of years.

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Electromagnetic emissions connected with thunderstorms trigger various dynamic processes in the Earth's magnetosphere, causing global geo-effects and changing electro-dynamic properties of the ionosphere. Satellite measurements had shown that thunderstorm electrical effects extend into the upper atmosphere and ionosphere (also known as Transient Luminous Effects (TLE) and Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGF).​

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Intense particle fluctuation, coinciding with thunderstorms, is also detected on Earth's surface by a network of TGE particle detectors. Enhancements of electron and gamma-ray flux usually coincide with a large negative electric field between cloud and ground and with negative inter-cloud lightning occurrence in the vicinity of particle detectors. Energy spectra of gamma-rays measured during the period of most intense TGEs prolonged up to 100MeV.​

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Correlation of an intense flux of electrons, gammas, and neutrons measured by means of ground-based particle detectors by means of thunderstorm activity, indicate new phenomena of Relativistic Feedback Breakdown (RFB) initiating a self-sustaining particle acceleration process in the atmosphere. Scientists are now conducting coherent and multi-component-band measurements of all parameters connected with variability of atmospheric electricity.

Further studies of the Energetic Atmospheric Particle Events and Transient Luminous Effects in the low, upper atmosphere and in space are extremely important for our understanding of the nature of these new and very exiting physical phenomena.​

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อย่างที่พระอาจารย์รัตน์เคยบอกไว้เลย

ทางช้างเผือก VS อันโดรเมด้า

Astronomers Predict Titanic Collision: Milky Way vs. Andromeda


May 31, 2012: NASA astronomers say they can now predict with certainty the next major cosmic event to affect our galaxy, sun, and solar system: the titanic collision of our Milky Way galaxy with the neighboring Andromeda galaxy.

The Milky Way is destined to get a major makeover during the encounter, which is predicted to happen four billion years from now. It is likely the sun will be flung into a new region of our galaxy, but our Earth and solar system are in no danger of being destroyed.
"After nearly a century of speculation about the future destiny of Andromeda and our Milky Way, we at last have a clear picture of how events will unfold over the coming billions of years," says Sangmo Tony Sohn of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore.
"Our findings are statistically consistent with a head-on collision between the Andromeda galaxy and our Milky Way galaxy," adds Roeland van der Marel of the STScI.
The Milky Way and Andromeda are moving toward each other under the inexorable pull of gravity. Also shown is a smaller galaxy, Triangulum, which may be part of the smashup. (Credit: NASA; ESA; A. Feild and R. van der Marel, STScI)

The solution came through painstaking NASA Hubble Space Telescope measurements of the motion of Andromeda, which also is known as M31. The galaxy is now 2.5 million light-years away, but it is inexorably falling toward the Milky Way under the mutual pull of gravity between the two galaxies and the invisible dark matter that surrounds them both.

The scenario is like a baseball batter watching an oncoming fastball. Although Andromeda is approaching us more than 2,000 times faster than a fastball, it will take 4 billion years before the strike. Computer simulations derived from Hubble's data show that it will take an additional two billion years after the encounter for the interacting galaxies to completely merge under the tug of gravity and reshape into a single elliptical galaxy similar to the kind commonly seen in the local universe.

Although the galaxies will plow into each other, stars inside each galaxy are so far apart that they will not collide with other stars during the encounter. However, the stars will be thrown into different orbits around the new galactic center. Simulations show that our solar system will probably be tossed much farther from the galactic core than it is today.
This series of photo illustrations shows the predicted merger between the Milky Way and Andromeda as seen from Earth. The first frame is the present day; the last frame is 7 billion years from now.

To make matters more complicated, M31's small companion, the Triangulum galaxy, M33, will join in the collision and perhaps later merge with the M31/Milky Way pair. There is a small chance that M33 will hit the Milky Way first.

A century ago astronomers did not realize that M31 was a separate galaxy far beyond the stars of the Milky Way. Edwin Hubble measured its vast distance by uncovering a variable star that served as a "milepost marker."

Hubble went on to discover the expanding universe where galaxies are rushing away from us, but it has long been known that M31 is moving toward the Milky Way at about 250,000 miles per hour. That is fast enough to travel from here to the moon in one hour. The measurement was made using the Doppler effect, which is a change in frequency and wavelength of waves produced by a moving source relative to an observer, to measure how starlight in the galaxy has been compressed by Andromeda's motion toward us.
A computer animation of the Milky Way - Andromeda collision.

Previously, it was unknown whether the far-future encounter will be a miss, glancing blow, or head-on smashup. This depends on M31’s tangential motion. Until now, astronomers had not been able to measure M31's sideways motion in the sky, despite attempts dating back more than a century. The Hubble Space Telescope team, led by van der Marel, conducted extraordinarily precise observations of the sideways motion of M31 that remove any doubt that it is destined to collide and merge with the Milky Way.

"This was accomplished by repeatedly observing select regions of the galaxy over a five- to seven-year period," says Jay Anderson of STScI.

"In the worst-case-scenario simulation, M31 slams into the Milky Way head-on and the stars are all scattered into different orbits," adds Gurtina Besla of Columbia University in New York, N.Y. "The stellar populations of both galaxies are jostled, and the Milky Way loses its flattened pancake shape with most of the stars on nearly circular orbits. The galaxies' cores merge, and the stars settle into randomized orbits to create an elliptical-shaped galaxy."
The space shuttle servicing missions to Hubble upgraded it with ever more-powerful cameras, which have given astronomers a long-enough time baseline to make the critical measurements needed to nail down M31's motion. The Hubble observations and the consequences of the merger are reported in three papers that will appear in an upcoming issue of the Astrophysical Journal.

Production editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA​

Astronomers Predict Titanic Collision: Milky Way vs. Andromeda - NASA Science