(Syfy Wire::Bad Astronomy) – Phil Plait:
We’re trying to measure the apparent motions of stars over time. Updated data from Gaia are expected in early 2022, and another release will occur after all five years of the nominal mission are processed, and are expected to be far more accurate than previous data.
So give astronomers a few more years and these numbers should tighten up. And then, hopefully, we’ll know for sure whether in an eon or four we’ll need to either fasten our seat belts for a cosmic collision or watch as Andromeda safely flies past us a million or two light years distant.
Patience. …
Tags: Andromeda galaxy, Milky Way
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