Two Million New Stars Are On Their Way

A gas cloud heading towards the Milky Way at a speed of 700,000 miles per hour has the potential to create two million new stars, says NASA.

While the stars won’t be created for a long time in human terms (30 million years term), when the cloud does hit the galaxy, its size will mean new stars will be generated at an incredibly rapid rate. The Smith Cloud, as it was named in 1969 when it was first discovered, has a length of 9,800 light years (or 58 quadrillion miles).

Physics applicants should investigate the composition of the Smith Cloud further, notably how it is tainted with so much sulfur. As Chemists or Material Scientists may be aware, the presence of so much sulfur indicates that the Smith Cloud originated in our galaxy and has since left, as its sulfur level matches the outer disk of the Milky Way.