Galaxies · Irregular satellite galaxy
Large Magellanic Cloud
160,000 light-years · Light crosses it in 32,200 years
- Across
- 32,200 light-years
- Vs Earth
- 0.32× Milky Way
- Mass
- 140.0 billion Suns
Open Large Magellanic Cloud in Cosmic Scale
In the app, Large Magellanic Cloud is part of the Beyond pack.
About
The Large Magellanic Cloud is the Milky Way's biggest companion galaxy, an irregular spiral distorted by our gravity. It is a favourite laboratory: close enough to resolve individual stars, far enough to see the whole thing at once.
A companion galaxy of the Milky Way, easily seen from the southern hemisphere.
At a glance
| Distance | 160,000 light-years |
|---|---|
| Mass | 140 billion Suns |
| Stars | About 20 billion |
| Contains | The Tarantula Nebula |
Did you know
- SN 1987A, the closest supernova in four centuries, went off here and is still being studied.
- It may be on its first pass by the Milky Way rather than in a long-term orbit.
- From the southern hemisphere it looks like a detached piece of the Milky Way.
Simulations
- The Milky Way meets Andromeda — How our galaxy and its giant neighbour may merge into one, over billions of years
Real photo
- The Magellanic Clouds above the Very Large Telescope — ESO/B. Tafreshi (twanight.org) (CC BY 4.0) · source