The Magellanic Clouds

The Magellanic Clouds are two small galaxies near our Milky Way. They look like fuzzy clouds in the night sky. People in the Southern Hemisphere can see them without a telescope. There is a Large Magellanic Cloud and a Small Magellanic Cloud.

Named After an Explorer

The clouds were named after Ferdinand Magellan. He was a sailor who led the first trip around the world in the 1500s. His crew saw the clouds during their journey. People in the Southern Hemisphere knew about them long before Magellan. Ancient people of Australia and other places saw them for thousands of years.

Two Small Galaxies

The Large Magellanic Cloud has billions of stars. The Small Magellanic Cloud is even smaller. Both galaxies orbit the Milky Way. They are about 160,000 to 200,000 light-years away. Scientists have seen supernovas and star nurseries inside them.

Fun Facts

• The Large Magellanic Cloud is the fourth largest galaxy in our nearby space.
• In 1987, a bright supernova exploded in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
• You can only see them from places south of the equator.

Did You Know?

The Magellanic Clouds may crash into the Milky Way in about 2.4 billion years.