Mapping the LMC Bar: A Closer Look at the Structure of a Neighboring Galaxy

Himansh Rathore and colleagues used Gaia DR3 data to map the unusual structure of the Large Magellanic Cloud's (LMC) central bar. They addressed crowding issues that hinder star counts in dense regions by developing a “completeness map” to correct for missing stars. With this method, they measured the bar’s position, size, and orientation precisely, finding it to be offset from the galaxy’s center. Their findings support the idea that recent interactions with the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) likely influenced the LMC’s unusual bar structure. This technique could also help study other crowded galaxy systems.