If the Large Magellanic Cloud is orbiting the Milky Way in a circular orbit with a speed of 175 km/s and a distance of 165,000 light-years from the center,how long would it take for the Large Magellanic Cloud to complete one orbit around the Milky Way?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

We can use the formula T = (2πr)/v, where T is the period of the orbit, r is the distance from the center of the galaxy, and v is the speed of the orbit. Plugging in the given values, we get T = (2π x 165,000 light-years)/(175 km/s x 3.26 light-years/km). Simplifying this gives T = 1.8 billion years, so the best choice is (B).

If the Large Magellanic Cloud Is Orbiting the Milky Way