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How far away are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds?
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Milky Way Galaxy
The Milky Way Galaxy as seen from Earth.
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) are satellite galaxies of the Milky Way Galaxy. Their distances from Earth are as follows:
- Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC): Approximately 160,000 light-years away.21
- Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC): Approximately 190,000 light-years away.2
These distances are determined using methods such as comparing Cepheid variable stars found within these galaxies to those of known distances within the Milky Way.1