The Euclid Mission: The Galactic Tuning Fork

         

                  

The Euclid Mission introduced the "Galactic Tuning Fork" in 2025, providing a new way to understand the history of the universe. This modern version updates Edwin Hubble’s 1926 diagram with advanced technology. It does not just show the shapes of galaxies but tells the story of how they are born and change over time.

                                                                      Stocktrek Images - Getty Images

          Modern Classification of Galaxies

The Euclid telescope studied millions of galaxies and divided this diagram into three main parts:

• Right Side (Young Galaxies): These are blue-colored spiral galaxies. They are filled with gas and dust, and new stars are constantly being born there.
• Middle Part (Transition Phase): This represents the stage when two galaxies collide. Euclid has discovered thousands of such "mergers".
• Left Side (Old Galaxies): These are red-colored elliptical galaxies. They are mostly formed by the merger of several small galaxies, and the birth of new stars has almost stopped.

Major Discovery of 2025: "Secondary Nuclei"

A major success of the Euclid Mission is the discovery of 666 galaxies that have "two hearts" (two black holes).

• What it is: Every large galaxy has a "Supermassive Black Hole" at its center. When a large galaxy swallows a smaller one, two distinct centers (nuclei) are visible initially.
• Significance: This proves that galaxies are not "quiet" but grow through constant violent collisions.
• Future Events: Eventually, these black holes collide, creating Gravitational Waves in the universe. Our own Milky Way is destined to merge with the neighboring Andromeda galaxy in this same manner.

Mapping Dark Matter

Euclid uses a technique called "Weak Gravitational Lensing" to map the invisible web of Dark Matter.

• Light Bending: According to Einstein's theory, massive objects bend the path of light; Dark Matter does the same.
• Distortion: As light from distant galaxies reaches Euclid, Dark Matter distorts or bends it.
• Mapping: By measuring these slight changes in the shapes of millions of galaxies, scientists can identify where the invisible web of Dark Matter exists.

The Future of the Milky Way

While our galaxy currently seems peaceful, its future is dramatic and exciting:

• The Great Collision: The Andromeda galaxy is heading toward us at 400,000 km/h. In about 4 to 5 billion years, it will collide with the Milky Way.
• Milkomeda: After the merger, a giant elliptical galaxy will form, which scientists have named "Milkomeda".
• Black Hole Union: The black holes at the centers of both galaxies (including our 'Sagittarius A*') will orbit each other and eventually merge, creating massive gravitational waves.
• Fate of Earth/Sun: Earth or the Sun are unlikely to collide with another star because of the vast distances between them. However, our solar system might be thrown far from the galactic center due to gravity.
• The End of Star Birth: Eventually, the new Milkomeda galaxy will use up its gas, and new star formation will stop. The galaxy will eventually become "Red and Dead".

Note: By the time these galaxies merge, the Sun will likely have become a 'Red Giant' and swallowed the Earth (in about 5 billion years), meaning humanity will likely no longer be on Earth.