EAS Meeting - July 2026 - Understanding the Formation and Evolution of Galaxies - Cameron Hummels

Our Milky Way is just one of countless galaxies scattered throughout the universe. Most galaxies contain billions of stars, planets, gas, dust, and an invisible substance known as dark matter, all bound together by gravity. While telescope observations have taught us a great deal about how galaxies work, many fundamental questions remain unanswered. In this talk, we'll explore how astronomers use some of the world's most powerful supercomputers to recreate galaxies in virtual universes, revealing new insights into how they form, grow, and evolve over billions of years. Along the way, we'll discover what these simulations can tell us about the past—and future—of our own Milky Way galaxy, including its eventual collision with our neighboring Andromeda Galaxy.