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Most astronomers say it is likely to happen. Is this true? Are there any scientists that reject this?

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    $\begingroup$ Are you suggesting astronomers are not scientists? $\endgroup$
    – ZeroTheHero
    Jul 19, 2017 at 1:25
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    $\begingroup$ There are, I'm sure, scientists that are not even aware of, and likely are completely uninterested in, the question of whether or not Andromeda and the Milky Way will collide. $\endgroup$
    – Alfred Centauri
    Jul 19, 2017 at 1:26
  • $\begingroup$ I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it's a political question $\endgroup$
    – Carl Witthoft
    Jul 19, 2017 at 13:47
  • $\begingroup$ It's not, that is a paranoid assumption, such an insinuation would be perfidious. it is clearly a slightly vague and unfocused phrasing. the question is obviously about measurement of galaxy motions, and it's a good question. $\endgroup$
    – bandybabboon
    Jul 20, 2017 at 20:04
  • $\begingroup$ read the study, awesome link. it's a balance of transverse and perspective motion, to know it's trajectory. always a good excuse to see this image of the future sky: phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/files/2015/03/… $\endgroup$
    – bandybabboon
    Jul 20, 2017 at 20:08

1 Answer 1

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Relatively high-resolution measurements were made with the Hubble Space Telescope over a 8 year period. From these measurements, astronomers determined that the collision was a certainty. It is predicted to occur in about 4 billion years. I suppose there may be some astronomers who disagree with the measurements or calculations but I can find no mention of that. The results were reported in an article in "Nature" (http://www.nature.com/news/andromeda-on-collision-course-with-the-milky-way-1.10765#/b1) and published in "Astrophysical Journal" Both are well-respected publications. The "Astrophysical Journal" reference is below.

Sangmo Tony Sohn; Jay Anderson; Roeland van der Marel (Jul 1, 2012). "The M31 velocity vector. I. Hubble Space Telescope proper-motion measurements". The Astrophysical Journal. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/753/1/7.

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  • $\begingroup$ Just added them to answer. $\endgroup$
    – Natsfan
    Jul 19, 2017 at 13:16
  • $\begingroup$ Here's a nice little "You Tube" explaining how Hubble observations showed that it is coming right for us: youtube.com/watch?v=r8YQsFZyGzw $\endgroup$
    – Jack R. Woods
    Jul 25, 2017 at 5:22

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