Magellanic clouds: Single measurement throws out everything we thought we knew

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Astronomers have measured the 3-D velocities of the Large Magellanic Cloud (shown here) and the Small Magellanic Cloud. They found surprisingly high speeds which indicates that the Magellanic Clouds are not gravitationally bound to the Milky Way but ...
Astronomers have measured the 3-D velocities of the Large Magellanic Cloud (shown here) and the Small Magellanic Cloud. They found surprisingly high speeds, which indicates that the Magellanic Clouds are not gravitationally bound to the Milky Way but instead are "just passing through." Credit: Copyright Robert Gendler and Josch Hambsch 2005

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) are two of the Milky Way's closest neighboring galaxies. A stunning sight in the southern hemisphere, they were named after Ferdinand Magellan, who explored those waters in the 16th century.


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All News summaries for September 17, 2007

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3 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
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Jul 08, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
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