What shape typically results after the gravitational scrambling of two large spiral galaxies through collision?
Answer
An elliptical galaxy
When two or more galaxies, especially large spiral galaxies with organized, spinning disks, approach and collide, their immense gravitational fields distort each other significantly. This process gravitationally scrambles the organized structure. The long-term result following this violent accretion and collision is generally the transformation into a larger, more featureless galaxy that possesses a spheroidal or oblong shape, which is specifically termed an elliptical galaxy. This change in morphology is a key indicator of major merger events.
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