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9. How Galaxies Like NGC 2985 Evolve Over Time
Galaxies aren’t eternal in their current form. They evolve dramatically over billions of years.
Typical life cycle:
- Early Stage: Intense star formation; chaotic, irregular structures.
- Mature Stage (like NGC 2985): Well-formed spiral arms; steady star production.
- Late Stage: Gas depletion gradually; slowing down of star formation.
- Merger Events: Collisions with other galaxies can drastically reshape structure.
- Elliptical Galaxy Formation: Many spirals eventually merge into smooth, featureless elliptical galaxies.
NGC 2985 is likely somewhere in its mature middle age—still vibrant, yet slowly moving toward cosmic old age.
10. Galactic Collisions: The Future of Spiral Galaxies
Over cosmic time, galaxies frequently interact and merge.
- Minor Mergers: Small satellite galaxies fall into larger spirals like NGC 2985.
- Major Mergers: Two galaxies of similar size collide, often erasing spiral structures.
Such mergers:
- Trigger bursts of star formation.
- Feed the central black hole.
- Transform spirals into elliptical galaxies.
Fun Fact: Our own Milky Way is on a collision course with the Andromeda galaxy—scheduled to merge in about 4.5 billion years!
Someday, NGC 2985 itself might merge with a neighboring galaxy, erasing its beautiful spirals.
