NGC 602: Taken under the 'wing' of the small magellanic cloud
Wednesday, April 3, 2013 - 10:00
in Astronomy & Space
(Phys.org) —The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is one of the Milky Way's closest galactic neighbors. Even though it is a small, or so-called dwarf galaxy, the SMC is so bright that it is visible to the unaided eye from the Southern Hemisphere and near the equator. Many navigators, including Ferdinand Magellan who lends his name to the SMC, used it to help find their way across the oceans.