LMC_SMC_big.gif
===============

A Magellanic Mural

Credit: W. Keel (U. Alabama in Tuscaloosa), Cerro Tololo, Chile 

Explanation: Two galaxies stand out to casual observers in Earth's
Southern Hemisphere: the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Small
Magellanic Cloud (SMC).  These irregular galaxies are two of the closest
galaxies to our Milky Way Galaxy.  Recent observations of the LMC (on
the left) have determined that it is on a nearly circular orbit around
our Galaxy, and have even helped in the determination of the composition
of dark matter in our Galaxy.  The above photograph spans 40 degrees. 
Visible on the lower left of the LMC is the Tarantula Nebula (in red). 
In the foreground to the right of the SMC is globular cluster 47
Tucanae, appearing here as a bright point of light.