Simulation of the Merger of Two Galaxies (VIDEO)
Caption
The movie shows an N-body simulation of the merger of a Milky Way-like galaxy (with its stars in blue) and a smaller disky galaxy resembling the Small Magellanic Cloud in mass (with it stars in red). At the beginning, the two galaxies are clearly separated, but gravity pulls them together and this leads to the full accretion of the smaller one. Distinguishing the accreted stars from the rest is not easy by the final stage, but it is possible using the motions of the stars and their chemical composition.
Credit
H.H. Koppelman, A. Villalobos, A. Helmi (University of Groningen)
Usage Restrictions
With credit
License
Licensed content