In about 30 million years, a massive cloud of gas – called Smith’s Cloud – will collide with the Milky Way.

Smith’s Cloud – a massive cloud of gas orbiting the Milky Way galaxy – contains enough gas to make 2 million stars the size of our sun. It’s moving through space at 700,000 miles (1.13 million km) per hour on a collision course with the Milky Way. In about 30 million years, it will crash into our galaxy, causing a brilliant burst of star formation.

In this NASA ScienceCast video you can find out what astronomers know about Smith’s Cloud, and what mysteries are still to be solved.

Bottom line: New NASA video on what astronomers know about Smith’s Cloud.

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