Richard Moline, Age 10, Of Gary, Ind., for his question:

What are the megallanic clouds?

South of the equator two little misty clouds can be seen adrift in the velvety black of the night sky. These clouds are galaxies beyond the milky way, and they are more than 503,000 light years away from us. As galaxies go, they are small, and one is a little smaller than its sister.

The clouds were named for Ferdinand Megallan, the bold mariner who long ago sailed south of the equator and charted many of the stars that shine above the southern hemisphere. Astronomers tell us that they are moving around our own monster galaxy somewhat like a pair of moons orbiting a planet.