Hubble Views Smith Cloud Traveling At 700,000 Mph

Astronomers using the Hubble Space telescope have viewed the Smith Cloud, a high velocity could of hydrogen gas. The Smith Cloud is a massive cloud of gas that is outside of the Milky Way galaxy and is traveling at 700,000 mph. The most unique aspect of the Smith Cloud is that its trajectory is well known.

Scientists believe that the Smith Cloud launched from the outer regions of the galactic disk about 70 million years ago and the cloud was first discovered in the 1960s. The person who discovered the cloud was Gail Smith who detected the radio waves emitted by the hydrogen.

The Smith Cloud is expected to smash into the Milky Way galaxy in about 30 million years. When the cloud smashes into our galaxy, astronomers believe that it will kick off a massive number of new star formations. The cloud is thought to have enough hydrogen inside to make 2 million suns.

The Smith Cloud is shaped like a comet and has been measured at 100,000 light years long and 2,500 light-years across. If the cloud were viewable in visible light, it would be 30 times greater than the size of the full moon in the night sky. The cloud is believed to have originated about 40,000 light-years from the galaxy's center.

SOURCE: NASA