Small Magellanic Clouds

Small Magellanic Clouds

The megallanic clouds as seen in optical wavelengts from hubble telescope

The galactic region Small Magellanic Cloud takes its name from Ferdinand Magellan, a 16th century explorer who reportedly referred to the cloud's placement in the sky to guide his ship on his worldwide journeys.But astronomers describe it as a "dwarf galaxy," but the Small Magellanic Cloud, which is one of Milky Way's closest neighbors, is entirely majestic.

In this spectacular composite image released today by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, Ala., scientists are reporting what they say is the presence of X-rays being emitted from young stars or "suns" outside the Milky Way. Reporting on the discovery, the co-authors of a new paper detailing their findings describe the so-called eastern "wing" of the Small Magellanic Cloud as "an excellent laboratory" for research into star formation. The region's low content of gas, dust, and stars make it ideal for studying.This is the first such detection for astronomers as they track the life cycle of stars.