http://www.skyandtelescope.com.au 51S GLOWING GALAXY
It’s the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) galaxy, but not as we usually see it. This new image, made with the European Southern Observatory’s
VISTA telescope, shows it in infrared light and in incredible detail. Infrared wavelengths enable astronomers to peer through the galaxy’s dust
clouds to reveal hidden stars. The bright object at the top of the image is the globular star cluster, 47 Tucanae — unrelated to the SMC but in
the same light of sight. A second, smaller, globular (NGC 362) is visible at left. You can find the full image (4.4 GB!), plus zoomable versions
and videos, at eso.org/public/images/eso1714a/DEEP SPACEESO/VISTA VMC