Editing Magellanic Clouds (section)

== Mini Magellanic Cloud (MMC) ==
Astrophysicists D. S. Mathewson, V. L. Ford and N. Visvanathan proposed that the SMC may in fact be split in two, with a smaller section of this galaxy behind the main part of the SMC (as seen from Earth's perspective), and separated by about 30,000 light years. They suggest the reason for this is due to a past interaction with the LMC splitting the SMC, and that the two sections are still moving apart. They have dubbed this smaller remnant the Mini Magellanic Cloud.<ref>{{cite journal | bibcode = 1986ApJ...301..664M | title=The structure of the Small Magellanic Cloud | journal=The Astrophysical Journal | volume=301 | page=664 | year=1986 |author1=Mathewson, D. S. |author2=Ford, V. L. |author3=Visvanathan, N. | doi=10.1086/163932}} 
</ref><ref>http://iopscience.iop.org/1538-3881/122/1/220/200523.text.html The Astronomical Journal 122:220–231 July 2001</ref>  This hypothesis was confirmed in 2023. The part of the SMC which is closer to Earth lies 196,000 light-years (60 kiloparsecs) away, whereas the farther part lies 215,000 light-years (66 kiloparsecs) away.<ref>Murray, Claire E. ; et al. (14 December 2023) [https://arxiv.org/pdf/2312.07750.pdf "A galactic eclipse:  the Small Magellanic Cloud is forming stars in two, superimposed systems"] arxiv.org</ref>