Thus, when two galaxies of approximately equal size collide, new stars begin to appear in huge numbers in both of them.
When two galaxies of different sizes collide, the larger galaxy halts the formation of new stars in the smaller one. Based on the results of the new study, one can imagine that the sky of a hypothetical planet in our galaxy will eventually be filled not only with stars from another system, but also with new young stars.
The study, published today, also shows that in the event of a collision between two galaxies of the same size, the rate of production of new stars in both galaxies increases sharply.
"However, there's no need to panic just yet." If one galaxy is significantly larger than the other, star formation intensifies only in it, while the process almost completely stops in the smaller colliding galaxy.
"Investigating similar cosmic collisions allows us to better understand how galaxies grow and evolve."
According to Luke Davies, co-author of the paper, such studies help to understand what processes occur during collisions of celestial giants.
Scientists have observed collisions in at least 20 galaxies. According to the scientist, whether star formation in a galaxy accelerates or ceases depends on the relative masses of these galaxies.
His research shows that if two galaxies of the same size are involved in a collision, both increase their ability to create new stars.
As a reminder, Andromeda is approaching the Milky Way. "As the galaxies get closer to each other, they will increasingly influence star formation processes."
The study was published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
