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Small Magellanic Cloud

A dwarf irregular galaxy that is a satellite of the Milky Way, situated about 210,000 light-years away in the constellation Tucana. The SMC is characterized by its low metallicity and active star-forming regions like NGC 346.

Source: science.nasa.gov

APODs including "Small Magellanic Cloud"

Three Galaxies and a Comet

27/08/2023

Three Galaxies and a Comet
Image Credit: Miloslav Druckmuller (Brno University of Technology) / NASA APOD

Diffuse starlight and dark nebulae along the southern Milky Way arc over the horizon and sprawl diagonally through this gorgeous nightscape. The breath-taking mosaic spans a wide 100 degrees, with the rugged terrain of the Patagonia, Argentina region in the foreground. Along with the insider's view of our own galaxy, the image features our outside perspective on two irregular satellite galaxies - the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The scene also captures the broad tail and bright coma of Comet McNaught, the Great Comet of 2007.