File:Magellanic_Clouds_―_Irregular_Dwarf_Galaxies.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Magellanic Clouds
Sign in to savetwo dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way
The Magellanic Clouds are two smaller galaxies that orbit around our own Milky Way galaxy. Astronomers study them because they offer insights into how galaxies interact and evolve, and they're close enough to observe in detail with telescopes.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- galaxy group
- Subclass of
- dwarf galaxy
- Part of
- Local Group
- Named after
- Ferdinand Magellan
- Constellation
- Hydrus
- Image
- Magellanic Clouds ― Irregular Dwarf Galaxies.jpg
Show 7 more facts
- topic's main category
- Category:Magellanic Clouds
- right ascension
- 45.00
- epoch
- J2000.0
- declination
- -71.0
- Commons category
- Magellanic Clouds
- described by source
- Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition
- on focus list of Wikimedia project
- Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~9 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds Small and Large Magellanic Clouds over Paranal ObservatoryALMA antennae bathed in red light. In the background are the southern Milky Way on the left and the Magellanic Clouds at the top.
The Magellanic Clouds (Magellanic system or Nubeculae Magellani) are two irregular dwarf galaxies in the southern celestial hemisphere. Orbiting the Milky Way galaxy, these satellite galaxies are members of the Local Group. Because both show signs of a bar structure, they are often reclassified as Magellanic spiral galaxies.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Magellanic Clouds” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.