Rendered in Acrylic Watercolours with all the techniques I used previously in the Deep Space Art series, this is an imaginary visualization of two galaxies merging, as they are all inevitably set to do eventually.

Two galaxies, dancing around each other in slow motion, reaching out and holding hands, pulling each other inwards.

Apparently our Milky Way Galaxy, which is approximately 100,000 Light-years* across with 300 blllion** stars and our nearest and largest neighbour, the Andromeda Galaxy, 2.5 million lightyears distant from us and approximately 200,000 light years wide with around a trillion*** stars, are on an almighty great collision course.

Both galaxies are set to merge in around four billion years time, but in a much more dramatic way than shown here by my representation. The one shown here is in the very early, slower more peaceful stages of approach.

Will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?

Seems I have no choice in the matter old chap! Gravity dictates that mass will attract mass until the force becomes quite irresistible…

And Oh… I do believe that we are actually colliding…

Well then, let us, shall we say – dance on!

For me, this was another enjoyable freehand brush with Space landscaping.

Dave Draper 2014

*** Trillion: a thousand billion [10/12], [1,000,000,000,000] short scale: used by English-speaking countries and Arabic-speaking countries. Long scale more logically is 10/18; a million to the power of three [1,000,000,000,000,000,000].

** Billion: a thousand million [10/9], [1,000,000,000] short scale: used by English-speaking countries and Arabic-speaking countries. Long scale for a billion is 10/12; a million to the power of two [1,000,000,000,000].

* Lightyear: 6 trillion miles [the distance light travels in a year] Light travels at 186,000 miles per sec – 111,60000 miles per min – 669,600000 mph