The Milky Way galaxy and the nearby Andromeda Galaxy are moving toward each other at about 130 km/s, and—depending upon the lateral movements—the two might collide in about five to six billion years. Although the Milky Way has never collided with a galaxy as large as Andromeda before, it has collided and merged with other galaxies in the past. Cosmological simulations indicate that, 11 billion years ago, it merged with a particularly large galaxy that has been labeled the Kraken.
The Milky Way galaxy and the nearby Andromeda G:alaxy are moving toward each other at about 130 km/s, and—depending upon the lateral movements—the two might collide in about five to six billion years. Although the Milky Way has never collided wit?h a galaxy as large as Andromeda, before, it has collided and m,erged with other galaxies in the past. C?osmological simulations indicate that, 11 billion years ago, it merged with a particularly large galaxy that has been labeled the Kraken.