The article discusses the paradox of the Universe's accelerating expansion caused by dark energy, where distant galaxies recede from one another at increasing rates yet still interact through collisions and mergers. Tom Peacock poses a question about how galaxies can collide while the Universe expands like a balloon. The answer involves understanding that local gravitational forces can facilitate interactions between galaxies, despite the overall trend of recession on a cosmic scale. The article highlights the importance of gravity in counteracting the expansion at smaller scales, as seen in cosmic simulations.
The Universe is expanding, and the expansion is accelerating due to dark energy, yet galaxies still interact, merging and colliding despite the overall recession.
The Universe's expansion and the interaction of galaxies can coexist due to the influence of gravity, which plays a critical role in cosmic behaviors.
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