Large Magellanic Cloud
What is Large Magellanic Cloud?
Galaxies· Distance ~160,000 ly. The largest of the satellite galaxies circling the Milky Way. From the southern hemisphere it looks like a hazy cloud to the naked eye; it never rises from Europe or most of North America. It contains the Tarantula Nebula, a huge star-forming region, and in 1987 a supernova bright enough to see without a telescope exploded here.
📍 Visible from where you are right now — computed in your browser
Its place in the sky
A galaxy, in the direction of Mensa, spanning about 645 arcminutes of sky — 21 times the width of the full Moon.
Distance and scale
| Distance | ~160,000 ly |
|---|---|
| Diameter | ~14,000 ly |
| Stars | ~30 billion |
| Where | southern skies only — never rises from Europe or most of North America |
Figures are representative approximations. Source: compiled from NASA and IAU public data.
Discovery and name
Reported to Europe by Magellan's voyage (1519–22), though southern peoples and Arab sailors knew it long before.
Is the Large Magellanic Cloud a first-time visitor?
For a long time, the Large Magellanic Cloud was thought to be an old satellite that had circled the Milky Way many times. Then in 2006, measurements with the Hubble Space Telescope showed it moving much faster than expected. At that speed, it may not have been held by the Milky Way for long. So scientists began to think it might be passing by our galaxy for the first time.
The question is tied to how heavy the Milky Way is, because a heavier galaxy can hold on to a faster satellite. A widely accepted calculation now says the Large Magellanic Cloud will merge with the Milky Way in about 2.4 billion years. Scientists also think its pull is gently warping the Milky Way's disc. It is a small neighbour, but it clearly affects our galaxy.
The galaxy in depth
The Large Magellanic Cloud is a small galaxy about 160,000 light-years away that circles the Milky Way. It is about 14,000 light-years across and holds some 30 billion stars. In the sky it spreads across Dorado and Mensa, about as wide as 20 full Moons in a row. It used to be classed as an irregular galaxy. Because it has a faint bar in the middle, it is now seen as a small barred spiral.
People in the southern hemisphere have long known it as a cloud in the sky. Europe learned about it through the records of Magellan's voyage around the world in 1519 to 1522, which is how it got its name. The Tarantula Nebula inside it is the busiest star-forming region among the Milky Way's neighbour galaxies. In February 1987 Supernova 1987A exploded here, the first supernova visible to the naked eye in about 400 years.
From places at mid-northern latitudes, such as Europe and the continental United States, the galaxy never rises above the horizon. In the Sky view, change your location to Sydney or Cape Town and it appears high in the southern sky. On the size ladder, set it beside the Milky Way to compare the size of a satellite galaxy with the galaxy it circles.
Frequently asked
- How far is Large Magellanic Cloud from Earth?
- The distance of Large Magellanic Cloud is ~160,000 ly.
- How big is Large Magellanic Cloud?
- The diameter of Large Magellanic Cloud is ~14,000 ly.
- Where in the sky is Large Magellanic Cloud?
- Large Magellanic Cloud lies in the direction of Mensa.
Related
Figures are representative approximations. Simulated positions use J2000 mean elements.