Facts about Small Magellanic Cloud

1. 07

   At 7,500 light-years across, the Small Magellanic Cloud spans less than one-twentieth the diameter of the Milky Way despite containing billions of stars.

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2. 06

   SN 1987A's light echo revealed a circumstellar ring around the progenitor star, with the first echo detected in 1990, providing unprecedented detail about the stellar environment before explosion.

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3. 05

   Magellanic Bridge, a stream of neutral hydrogen gas spanning 75,000 light-years, connects the Small Magellanic Cloud to its larger companion through gravitational interaction.

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4. 04

   In 1987, Supernova 1987A exploded in the Small Magellanic Cloud, becoming the brightest supernova visible from Earth in nearly 400 years.

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5. 03

   Interactions between the Small Magellanic Cloud and Milky Way have stripped away approximately 1 billion stars over the past 2 billion years through gravitational tidal forces.

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6. 02

   The Small Magellanic Cloud contains the 30 Doradus nebula, one of the most luminous and massive star-forming regions known, located approximately 160,000 light-years away.

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7. 01

   Approximately 3 billion stars populate the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy orbiting the Milky Way at roughly 160,000 light-years distant.

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