APOD 2.7

The Tail of the Small Magellanic Cloud
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100107.html

This picture reveals the tail of the Small Magellanic Cloud. The Small Magellanic cloud is a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way and is a dwarf galaxy. It may have once been a spiral galaxy that was distorted by the Milky Way. It is 200,000 light years away and can been seen with the naked eye. This picture reveals the tail of the Small Magellanic Cloud. The tail is probably composed of dust, gas, and young stars, and may have been pulled out of the Cloud by gravitational tides. The picture was taken with infrared light.