SCIENCE

Here's How Our Night Sky Would Look If Celestial Bodies Were Closer To Earth

From breathtaking nebulae to spectacular galaxies, the cosmos is chock-full of stunning celestial objects. But think how stunning those objects might look if they were much closer to Earth -- close enough for us to see them in the night sky without having to use a telescope?

The Russian space agency Roscosmos recently took on that thought experiment, creating a series of simulations in a new YouTube video (above). The video features the nearby Andromeda galaxy, the iconic Ring Nebula, and even a massive black hole.

"Beautiful video... Just perfect," YouTube user Alexander Ivanov commented. "But it is good that we are far away from the black hole."

Scroll down to see still images of the close-up celestial bodies featured in the video -- and prepare to be amazed.

  • Andromeda Galaxy
    Andromeda galaxy, the closest galaxy to our own Milky Way, spans 220,000 light-years. In real life, it is located about 2.5 m
    YouTube: Studios Roscosmos
    Andromeda galaxy, the closest galaxy to our own Milky Way, spans 220,000 light-years. In real life, it is located about 2.5 million light-years from Earth.
  • Crab Nebula
    The stunning Crab Nebula spans about 10 light-years. In real life, it lies approximately 6,300 light-years from Earth.
    YouTube: Studios Roscosmos
    The stunning Crab Nebula spans about 10 light-years. In real life, it lies approximately 6,300 light-years from Earth.
  • Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
    The Globular Cluster of Hercules is roughly 160 light-years in diameter. In real life, the cluster is about 25,000 light-year
    YouTube: Studios Roscosmos
    The Globular Cluster of Hercules is roughly 160 light-years in diameter. In real life, the cluster is about 25,000 light-years from Earth.
  • Ring Nebula
    The beautiful Ring Nebula spans roughly 1 light-year. In real life, it sits about 2,000 light-years from Earth.
    YouTube: Studios Roscosmos
    The beautiful Ring Nebula spans roughly 1 light-year. In real life, it sits about 2,000 light-years from Earth.
  • The Pleiades
    The Pleiades star cluster is about 10 light-years across. In real life, the cluster lies some 440 light-years from Earth.
    YouTube: Studios Roscosmos
    The Pleiades star cluster is about 10 light-years across. In real life, the cluster lies some 440 light-years from Earth.
  • Whirpool Galaxy
    The Whirlpool Galaxy is 60,000 light-years across and, in real life, 30 million light-years from Earth.
    YouTube: Studios Roscosmos
    The Whirlpool Galaxy is 60,000 light-years across and, in real life, 30 million light-years from Earth.
  • Black Hole
    There's a giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way that's about 14 million miles across, and 26,000 light-years from E
    YouTube: Studios Roscosmos
    There's a giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way that's about 14 million miles across, and 26,000 light-years from Earth.
  • Supernova
    A supernova is an exploding star. Research suggests that the safest distance between Earth and a supernova would be 50 to 100
    YouTube: Studios Roscosmos
    A supernova is an exploding star. Research suggests that the safest distance between Earth and a supernova would be 50 to 100 light-years.
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If Planets Were As Close As The Moon...
Senior Science Editor, The Huffington Post
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