SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Daniel Stern
Location of Photo:
Rio Hurtado, Chile
Date/Time of photo:
July 2025
Equipment:
Takahashi TOA-130 ZWO ASI6200MM
Description:
The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is a dwarf galaxy located about 200,000 light-years from Earth, visible from the Southern Hemisphere as a faint, hazy patch in the night sky. It’s one of the Milky Way’s closest galactic neighbors and a member of the Local Group of galaxies. Though small compared to the Milky Way, the SMC contains billions of stars, active star-forming regions, and vast clouds of gas and dust. Its irregular shape is the result of gravitational interactions with both the Milky Way and its larger companion, the Large Magellanic Cloud.
