Cosmic Scale
Large Magellanic Cloud
Irregular satellite galaxy · 160,000 light-years
How big is Large Magellanic Cloud?
Large Magellanic Cloud is about 32,200 light-years across.
See Large Magellanic Cloud in 3D, at true scale
The Large Magellanic Cloud is the Milky Way's biggest companion galaxy, an irregular spiral distorted by our gravity. It is a favourite laboratory: close enough to resolve individual stars, far enough to see the whole thing at once.
At a glance
| Diameter | 32,200 light-years |
|---|---|
| Mass | 2.78 × 10⁴¹ kg |
| Diameter compared with Earth | 2.4 × 10¹³ × Earth |
| Distance | 160,000 light-years |
| Stars | About 20 billion |
| Contains | The Tarantula Nebula |
Good to know
- SN 1987A, the closest supernova in four centuries, went off here and is still being studied.
- It may be on its first pass by the Milky Way rather than in a long-term orbit.
- From the southern hemisphere it looks like a detached piece of the Milky Way.
- Next smaller: Small Magellanic Cloud · 18,900 light-years
- Next larger: Sombrero Galaxy · 49,000 light-years