Space.com
By Elizabeth Howell
June 25, 2021
A new cosmic map revealed hidden structures connecting galaxies, which could help scientists model a future collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda, our galaxy’s nearest neighbor.
The map, made with machine learning, may also shed more light on dark matter’s influence in the evolution of our universe, participating scientists said in a statement from Pennsylvania State University.
As for the collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda, which is expected to occur in 4.5 billion years, the map charted dark-matter filaments that bridge the two galaxies and that may affect the merger, the team said.