Our Galactic Neighbour Is Up To 40,000 Light-Years Closer To Us Than We Thought

Using high-powered telescopes and a sophisticated system of measurement, scientists know the distance of a neighbouring galaxy more accurately than ever before. 

The study measured the Large Magellanic Cloud, on of our closest galactic neighbours, to be about 163,000 light-years from Earth — it is the most accurate measurement since scientists first tried to guess the distance a century ago.

Knowing that our neighbouring galaxy is actually closer than first anticipated is quite a daunting fact, but it is slightly easier to get to now.