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Large Magellanic Cloud
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globular cluster NGC 1850 in the Large Magellanic Cloud supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud Active star-forming region around 30 Doradus (Tarantula Nebula) in the Large Magellanic Cloud. N132D, remnants of a supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud, as observed by the Hubble Space Telescope.
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Large Magellanic Cloud

galaxy
Also known as: LMC, Nubecular Major
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Quick Summary

globular cluster NGC 1850 in the Large Magellanic Cloud
globular cluster NGC 1850 in the Large Magellanic Cloud Most of the globular cluster NGC 1850 consists of yellow stars; the bright white stars are members of a second, open cluster about 200 light-years beyond NGC 1850. This picture is a composite of images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is one of two satellite galaxies orbiting our own Milky Way Galaxy. Visible to the unaided eye in the Southern Hemisphere, it's a significant component of our local cosmic neighborhood.12

The LMC, along with the Small Magellanic Cloud, was named after Ferdinand Magellan, whose crew first documented them. These galaxies are irregular in shape and share a gaseous envelope, lying about 160,000 light-years from Earth. While smaller than the Milky Way, the LMC is a dynamic region, serving as a prime location for studying active star formation and evolution, including the massive star R136a1.1

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