The Magellanic Clouds are two objects previously considered to be dwarf galaxies that orbit the Milky Way. We distinguish between the Large Magellanic Cloud and the neighboring and smaller Small Magellanic Cloud. They are connected to our galaxy by gravity. They can be easily observed in the southern hemisphere in the form of two small patches resembling detached fragments of our galaxy. The clouds are connected to each other by the Magellanic Stream.
They owe their name to Ferdinand Magellan. One of the most outstanding sea travelers and explorers.
Currently considered a dwarf galaxy, although since the late 1980s there have been suggestions that the object actually consists of two galaxies. Its diameter is estimated at about 7,000 light years, which consists of several hundred million stars.
It is located at a distance of 200,000 light-years from the Milky Way, which makes it the closest neighbor of our galaxy and one of the most distant objects that can be observed in the night sky with the naked eye. However, due to its low surface brightness, it is best to look for it in a sky free from light pollution.
The tip of the “wing” of the Small Magellanic Cloud galaxy /NASA/CXC/JPL-Caltech/STScI /public domain
Scientists set out to find evidence that the Small Magellanic Cloud is actually two dwarf galaxies. The international research team studied data collected by the Gaia space observatory and the Galactic Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder, an array of radio telescopes in Western Australia. They also analyzed data from the APOGEE review.
The analysis revealed that the chemical compositions of the two parts of the Small Magellanic Cloud are distinct. Moreover, both parts have different speeds. The objects appear to have similar masses and interact in the same way with the Large Magellanic Cloud.
The evidence obtained strongly suggests that the Small Magellanic Cloud is two separate dwarf galaxies. Because they are placed one behind the other from Earth’s perspective, they remained hidden for so long, creating the illusion of a single galaxy. Scientists additionally calculated that the closer one is located at a distance of approximately 199,000. light-years, while more distant by about 215 thousand. light years.
The work is currently hosted on the arXiv preprint server.
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2024-01-05 21:21:00
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