Editing Dwarf galaxy (section)

{{short description|Small galaxy composed of up to several billion stars}}
[[File:Large.mc.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The [[Large Magellanic Cloud]], a satellite galaxy of the [[Milky Way]]]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}

A '''dwarf galaxy''' is a small [[galaxy]] composed of about 1000 up to several billion [[star]]s, as compared to the [[Milky Way]]'s 200–400 billion stars.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Milky Way Galaxy |url=http://www.messier.seds.org/more/mw.html |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=www.messier.seds.org}}</ref> The [[Large Magellanic Cloud]], which closely orbits the Milky Way and contains over 30 billion stars,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-08 |title=The Magellanic Clouds, our galactic neighbors |url=https://earthsky.org/clusters-nebulae-galaxies/magellanic-clouds-large-small/ |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=earthsky.org |language=en-US}}</ref> is sometimes classified as a dwarf galaxy; others consider it a full-fledged galaxy. Dwarf galaxies' formation and activity are thought to be heavily influenced by interactions with larger galaxies. Astronomers identify numerous types of dwarf galaxies, based on their shape and composition.