In a few billion years or soon thereafter, it seems likely that the Milky Way and our nearest neighbouring spiral galaxy Andromeda will collide and merge. This cataclysm will happen in our own cosmic backyard and the Sun and Earth and whoever lives on it will bear witness to the complex chain of events that happen when galaxies collide. I will describe the science behind galaxy collisions and how these complex gravitational processes are important to both the origins of the universe and to the ultimate fate of the Milky Way and perhaps life on earth.
The presentation will be illustrated with a special full dome planetarium animation derived from a supercomputer simulation of the Milky-Way Andromeda collision produced in collaboration with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
Gates Planetarium, Denver, Colorado, December 6, 2006