Figure 23-12: R I V U X G
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) At a distance of only 55 kpc (179,000 ly), this Irr I galaxy is the third closest known companion of our Milky Way Galaxy. About 19 kpc (62,000 ly) across, the LMC spans 22° across the sky, or about 50 times the size of the full moon. One sign that star formation is ongoing in the LMC is the Tarantula Nebula, whose diameter of 250 pc (800 ly) and mass of 5 × 106 M☉ make it the largest known H II region.
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) At a distance of only 55 kpc (179,000 ly), this Irr I galaxy is the third closest known companion of our Milky Way Galaxy. About 19 kpc (62,000 ly) across, the LMC spans 22° across the sky, or about 50 times the size of the full moon. One sign that star formation is ongoing in the LMC is the Tarantula Nebula, whose diameter of 250 pc (800 ly) and mass of 5 × 106 M☉ make it the largest known H II region.
(NOAO/AURA/NSF)