Question

If all matter began from one infinitesimally small point, and flew outward from there. How can we have galaxies colliding? Did they make left hand turns or something? Or it is possible multiple galaxies were created by secondary coalescing and re-exploding of galactic material, flinging them in new directions? Wouldn't that increase the time-frame of the Universe's age?

Answer 1

Despite the universe's expansion post-Big Bang, galaxies can still collide due to gravitational forces. Dark matter and gravity significantly influence galaxy distribution and cosmic structure over time.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question relates to the Big Bang, galaxy formation, and the cosmic evolution of structure. After the Big Bang, which occurred between 13 and 15 billion years ago, the universe expanded and matter began to coalesce under gravity to form stars and galaxies.

The observation that galaxies are moving away from each other, known as recession of galaxies, supports the Big Bang theory. However, gravity can also cause galaxies to merge or collide, despite the overall expansion of the universe. The distribution of galaxies in space and over cosmic time is influenced by the presence of dark matter, which, along with gravity and time, has shaped the large-scale structure of the universe. Galaxy collisions are an important part of their evolution, contributing to their growth and the formation of larger structures in the cosmos.