LMC     The Large Magellenic Cloud in Dorado 

        Object type:             Irregular Galaxy

        Distance from Earth:      170,000 light years / 52000 parsecs

        Distance across Galaxy:   30,000 light years / 9200 parsecs

        The LMC is a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way named after the 
        Spanish explorer Magellan who discovered it and its companion the 
        Small Magellanic Cloud during his trip around the world in 1519.  
        The LMC shows characteristics of a barred spiral form and is 
        classified as a transition type between a spiral and an irregular 
        galaxy.  Both the LMC and SMC are orbiting the Milky Way, and are 
        easily visible to the unaided eye.

        Offset from the center of the LMC is the Tarantula Nebula.  This
        is the only extragalactic nebula visible to the unaided eye and is
        striking when seen in medium to large telescopes.  Measurements 
        indicate that this nebula is actually the core of the LMC even 
        though it appears to be off-center from the rest of the galaxy.