Skip to content

Small Magellanic Cloud

The Small Magellanic Cloud, as seen by the Dark Energy Camera.
The Small Magellanic Cloud, as seen by the Dark Energy Camera. Image: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/SMASH/D. Nidever (Montana State University); Acknowledgment: Image processing: Travis Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage), Mahdi Zamani and Davide de Martin

The Small Magellanic Cloud is a dwarf satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. Glowing blue and pink, the cloud is actually bright enough to be seen with the naked eye in the southern hemisphere. Due to its proximity, the cloud and its more expansive partner, the Large Magellanic Cloud, are useful tools for studying star formation.