Large Magellanic Cloud

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), also known as PGC 17223 and historically as Nubecula Major, is a barred Magellanic spiral (SB(s)m) and a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. Located in the constellations of Dorado and Mensa at about 160,000 light-years (50,000 parsecs) away, the Large Magellanic Cloud is the second-closest galaxy to us, after the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy (third-closest if including the disputed Canis Major Overdensity). Careful observations of stars and cataloging them showed astronomers that the LMC is approximately 10 billion solar masses in mass. Being about 140,000 light-years in diameter, it is the fourth-largest object in the Local Group of galaxies, after the Andromeda Galaxy, the Milky Way and the Triangulum Galaxy.