EPIC! A massive cloud of gas is on a collision course with our galaxy - here's what happens next...

The cloud will hit in about 30 million years.

There is a massive cloud of gas on a collision course with our galaxy, closing in at 700,000 MPH. What happens when this cloud arrives? NASA has the answer.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - In 1963, a Dutch astronomer discovered a massive cloud of gas in space around our galaxy. Research has since revealed, the cloud is approaching the galaxy and will collide with the Milky Way in about 30 million years.

The cloud is massive and contains enough material to form 2 million stars the same size as the Sun.

The question is, where did the cloud come from, and what happens when it collides with our galaxy? Will Earth be affected?

Scientists recently had a look at the cloud using the Hubble Space Telescope. Here's what they learned. 

First, they learned the cloud is dissipating, falling apart as it gets closer. This means it will be smaller when it does hit. Additionally, they learned it is made of the same material as the rest of the galaxy, which is like a fingerprint. This means the cloud was once a part of our galaxy and it was ejected by some cataclysm. It is now falling back into the galaxy.

When the cloud collides with the Perseus arm of our galaxy, it will be compressed which will cause new stars and solar systems for form. It will not affect the galaxy in any way, except to add a million new stars or so. It will not affect the Earth in any way. It is uncertain if humans will still exist in 30 million years.

The cloud remains a curiosity, but it's not much of a mystery anymore, thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope and our understanding of physics.

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