Summary of a contribution on “the Magellanic Clouds”

Extract

Combined spectroscopic and photo-electric observations of bright stars in the two Magellanic Clouds show that:

1. 1) There is no marked difference between the stars observed in the two Clouds when compared with each other or with normal galactic supergiants, as judged by:

   1. (a) direct spectroscopic comparison,

   2. (b) Hertzsprung-Russell diagram,

   3. (c) U, B, V plot.

2. 2) Stars observed in both Clouds suffer a small amount of absorption, the precise amount depending on the intrinsic colours adopted. How much of the absorption takes place within the Clouds remains to be determined.

3. 3) A reddening path has been determined by comparison of Cloud stars (little reddened) and galactic supergiants (heavily reddened). The observations are consistent with a single reddening path and have not yet suggested any difference in the absorbing properties of dust in the Clouds and in the Galaxy. A conclusion on this latter point must await observations of heavily reddened stars in the Clouds.