Chance of Milky Way colliding with galaxy in billions of years? Odds now 50

In this combination of images from NASA/ESA shows three future scenarios for Milky Way & Andromeda encounter. Top left: Galaxies bypass at 1 million light-year separation. Top right: At 500,000 light-years, dark matter provides friction that brings galaxies to a close encounter. Bottom: A 100,000 light-year separation leads to a collision. (NASA/ESA via AP) The Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- It turns out that looming collision between our Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies might not happen after all.

Astronomers reported Monday that the probability of the two spiral galaxies colliding is less than previously thought, with a 50-50 chance within the next 10 billion years. That’s essentially a coin flip, but still better odds than previous estimates and farther out in time.