{"id":19887,"date":"2022-11-27T19:00:50","date_gmt":"2022-11-27T18:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=129934"},"modified":"2022-11-28T09:37:12","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T08:37:12","slug":"if-the-universe-is-expanding-how-are-the-milky-way-and-andromeda-getting-closer-together","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/if-the-universe-is-expanding-how-are-the-milky-way-and-andromeda-getting-closer-together\/","title":{"rendered":"If the universe is expanding, how are the Milky Way and Andromeda getting closer together?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Marcus Chown\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 27 November 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The Universe is certainly expanding<\/a> in the aftermath of the Big Bang<\/a> 13.82 billion years ago, but you yourself are not expanding. Neither is the Earth, nor our Solar System, nor our Milky Way, nor the local group of galaxies of which the Milky Way and Andromeda are the two most prominent members.<\/p>\n

This is because only on the largest scales is cosmic expansion strong enough to overcome the gravity<\/a> that\u2019s binding together astronomical objects. On the smaller scales \u2013 masses equivalent to stars and galaxies and even galaxy clusters \u2013 gravity is strong enough to hold things together and defy the expansion of the Universe.<\/p>\n

The Milky Way and Andromeda are not only bound to each other but approaching each other. In about five billion years\u2019 time, it is estimated that they will collide and form a new galaxy, already dubbed \u2018Milkomeda<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n