Video showing just how big the universe is leaves people stunned

A video that attempts to show just how massive the universe is has left many convinced we can’t be alone in the universe.

Admittedly, I am not an astronomer, but I reckon space is pretty big. A vacuum so vast that some social media users have been convinced that humans cannot be alone in the universe.

Well, a clip posted online has proven just this and has stunned users as it showed just how small and insignificant we are on a cosmic scale. Take a look:

The clip is from a video called Cosmic Eye, which was designed by astrophysicist Dr. Danail Obreschkow of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research at the University of Western Australia back in 2012.

Since then, it has been reposted online numerous times, having been viewed by millions.

The short clip starts by showing a woman lying down on a small patch of grass before zooming out into the sky at rapid speed. The video shows how small the Earth is if you continue to zoom out beyond our local solar system.

The clip then goes even further beyond and shows our galaxy and the Milkyway, as well as the empty vastness of space.

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“There’s no way we’re alone. The universe is too big,” one X user wrote.

“Sweet Jesus. Ain't no way we are the only humans or beings in the universe. No way,” another added. “And people still think we’re alone in the universe.”

So, how exactly did Dr. Obreschkow create the world-famous clip?

Well, he apparently created the IOS App ‘Cosmic Eye’ to generate the video.

Speaking to the Mail in 2016 after the clip went viral again, he told the publication he created the video to show a class at the University of Western Australia.

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“I was teaching an arts class ... a bunch of 200 non-scientists, and I thought I wanted to do something to explain the different scales of the universe,’ he said.

“I think [The Science World Facebook page] post a science video every day and normally they get between 10,000 and 13,000 views. This time they got 1,000 times more.”

Speaking about possible sequels to the clip he said: "What you see in the current video is everything at the same time ... but you don't see how things change over time.

"I could make a new video that shows you how all these things evolve in time."

Topics: Science, Space

Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.