Small Magellanic Cloud

Small Magellanic Cloud — galaxy, explore its interactive 3D model in Cosmoscope.

Explore Small Magellanic Cloud in an interactive 3D view of space. See its catalogue position, distance and astronomical facts.

A smaller, more distant companion to the LMC, trailing a bridge of hydrogen gas torn loose by the Milky Way’s gravity.

Type

Satellite dwarf galaxy

Distance

204,000 light-years

Stars

~3 billion

Shown here

360,000 Gaia DR3 member stars, each at its real sky position

Gas & dust

SHASSA hydrogen-alpha and Spitzer far-infrared maps

Depth

Stretched along our line of sight: its eastern side is nearer, measured from Cepheid stars (64° tilt); thickness illustrative

Explore Small Magellanic Cloud in 3D

Small Magellanic Cloud is placed in three-dimensional space using catalogue coordinates and an adopted astronomical distance. Rotate and zoom to explore the model. Stellar surfaces, gas structure and dust depths may be reconstructed or illustrative, as described in its facts; this is not live imagery from a telescope.