The video discusses various topics in space and astronomy. It begins by describing the Milky Way galaxy and its place in the Local Group of galaxies. The narrator then jumps forward in time to a hypothetical future where the Milky Way has collided with other galaxies to form a new galaxy called Milkdromeda. In this future, intelligent beings on a habitable planet within Milkdromeda look out into the universe and see only darkness and empty space, as the expansion of the universe has caused all other galaxies to move beyond the cosmic light horizon.
The video then shifts to discussing the asteroid 2016 RB1, which passed close to Earth in 2016, and the possibility of asteroid impacts. It also touches on the topic of advertising in space, including a proposed giant billboard that was never launched due to public opposition.
The narrator then discusses various historical events and astronomical phenomena, including the supernova of 1054 CE, the Crab Nebula, and the discovery of exoplanets. The video also mentions the Space Shuttle Enterprise, which was named after the fictional spaceship from Star Trek.
The video concludes with a discussion of the exoplanet Proxima Centauri b and the possibility of human colonization, as well as the discovery of a strange dimming pattern in the star KIC 8462852, which has been speculated to be caused by an alien megastructure.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The Milky Way galaxy is part of the Local Group of galaxies.
2. The Local Group consists of more than 54 gravitationally bound members.
3. The larger members of the Local Group, including the Milky Way, Andromeda, and Triangulum, will collide and form a larger galaxy in the future.
4. The collision will occur in a few billion years and result in the formation of a galaxy nicknamed Milkdromeda.
5. In about 100 billion years, the expansion of the universe will cause all other galaxies to vanish beyond the cosmic light horizon.
6. As a result, light from other galaxies will no longer be able to reach us, and galaxies will be pushed outside of the observable universe.
7. On September 7th, 2016, Earth had a close call with an asteroid known as 2016 RB1.
8. The asteroid was between 7-16 meters in diameter and flew past the Earth above the South Pole at an altitude of 34,000 km.
9. Many communications and weather satellites orbit the Earth at an altitude of 42,000 km.
10. A company known as Space Marketing, Inc. announced plans to launch a giant billboard into low-Earth orbit in 1993.
11. The billboard would have been made out of a lightweight polyester film and would have appeared as large and bright as the Moon.
12. The project was met with opposition from the public and scientific community and was eventually cancelled.
13. In 1997, the first commercial was filmed in space aboard the Russian space station Mir.
14. The commercial was for an Israeli dairy company and featured a cosmonaut drinking milk.
15. In 2001, Pizza Hut sent a vacuum-sealed pizza to the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the ISS as a commercial stunt.
16. On June 4, 1974, NASA began construction of the first orbiter of the Space Shuttle program.
17. The orbiter was originally designated OV-101 but was later renamed Enterprise.
18. The name change was requested by fans of the TV show Star Trek, and President Gerald Ford approved the change.
19. The term "Space Shuttle" was likely inspired by Star Trek.
20. The Crab Nebula is a stellar remnant of a star that went supernova in 1054 CE.
21. The star actually went supernova about 6,500 years before that, but the light from the explosion reached the Earth in 1054 CE.
22. The supernova was observed by ancient Chinese astronomers and was recorded in historical texts.
23. The first supernova for which records exist is believed to have occurred in 185 CE.
24. The brightest supernova in recorded history was observed in 1006 CE.
25. The supernova was so bright that it cast noticeable shadows on the ground and allowed people to see in the dark of night.
26. In November 1969, the crew of Apollo 12 safely landed on the Moon and conducted extravehicular activities.
27. The astronauts followed instructions printed on a flip book attached to the wrist of their spacesuit.
28. A joke photo of a Playboy magazine model was included in the flip book by the backup crew.
29. The Eagle Nebula is home to the Pillars of Creation, a beautiful region of star formation.
30. The Pillars of Creation may have been destroyed by a nearby supernova that occurred 9,000 years ago.
31. The light from the supernova has already reached the Earth, but the shockwave is still 6,000 years away.
32. In 1910, the Earth passed through the tail of Halley's comet.
33. Astronomers detected a poisonous gas called cyanogen in the tail of the comet.
34. The gas posed no threat to the Earth, but the public panicked and prepared for the worst.
35. Some people purchased gas masks, while others capitalized on the hysteria by selling "comet pills."
36. In August 2016, astronomers discovered an exoplanet orbiting Proxima Centauri.
37. The exoplanet, Proxima Centauri b, is the closest star to the Sun and the nearest exoplanet to Earth.
38. The planet is within the star's habitable zone, which could allow for liquid water on its surface.
39. In 2009, NASA launched the Kepler spacecraft to monitor the luminosity of hundreds of thousands of stars.
40. Kepler was designed to find Earth-like exoplanets by observing the dimming of starlight caused by transiting planets.
41. Over the course of its mission, Kepler found thousands of planets using this method.
42. Kepler also found a star known as KIC 8462852, which exhibited irregular and asymmetrical dimming patterns.
43. The dimming of KIC 8462852 could not have been caused by a spherical object such as a planet.
44. Multiple hypotheses have been proposed to explain the dimming of KIC 8462852, including the presence of a swarm of cold and dusty comets or an alien mega-structure.
45. The leading hypothesis is that the star is surrounded by a swarm of cold and dusty comets.
46. The idea of an alien mega-structure is highly unlikely but still a possibility.