Large Magellanic Cloud. Enhanced optical image of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. The LMC's nuc

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Large Magellanic Cloud. Enhanced optical image of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. The LMC's nucleus is seen as a pale bar at centre. It lies around 170,000 light years from Earth in the cons- tellation Dorado. It contains many nebulae (pink). The largest of these, the Tarantula nebula (NGC 2070, centre left), is one of the most powerful nebulae known. These are starbirth regions of gas and dust, and glow as their gas is excited by hot, young stars within them. This image was produced by a CCD (charge-coupled device) camera, which stores images electronically rather than on film.

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Size: 4123px × 4252px
Photo credit: © MOUNT STROMLO AND SIDING SPRING OBSERVATORIES/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 2070, astronomy, clou, cloud, cosmology, galactic, galaxy, large, lmc, magellanic, nebul, nebula, nebulae, ngc, science, tarantula