Milky Way and Andromeda Encounters

These galaxy images illustrate three possible encounter scenarios between our Milky Way and the neighboring Andromeda galaxy. In the top left panel, a wide-field Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) image showing galaxies M81 and M82 serves as an example of the Milky Way and Andromeda passing each other at large distances. The top right panel shows NGC 6786 , a pair of interacting galaxies displaying the telltale signs of tidal disturbances after a close encounter. The bottom panel shows NGC 520 , a cosmic train wreck as two galaxies are actively merging together.