February 25, 2008 | 8 comments

Fade to Black: The Night Sky of the Future [Slideshow]

The night sky on Earth (assuming it survives) will change dramatically as our Milky Way galaxy merges with its neighbors and distant galaxies recede beyond view.

By Lawrence M. Krauss and Robert J. Scherrer

The current night sky
DON DIXON

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Overview
The End of Cosmology?

The night sky on Earth (assuming it survives) will change dramatically as our Milky Way galaxy merges with its neighbors and distant galaxies recede beyond view.

The quickening expansion will eventually pull galaxies apart faster than light, causing them to drop out of view. This process eliminates reference points for measuring expansion and dilutes the distinctive products of the big bang to nothingness. In short, it erases all the signs that a big bang ever occurred.

To our distant descendants, the universe will look like a small puddle of stars in an endless, changeless void.

Click here to view a slideshow of the evolution of the night sky.

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