SIMBAD references

Orbital parameters of the magellanic cloud system describing it as a binary system of LMC and SMC that remained stable for the last 10¹⁰years have been determined. All these orbits resulted in a close collision of LMC and SMC about 5.10⁸years ago which occurred at an orbital position which projects into a position close to the tip of the Magellanic Stream on the sphere. Gas clouds of LMC and SMC which then collided are now found in the bridge region of the intercloud area enclosing both clouds. Gas-dynamical interactions with the galactic halo extracts gas from the bridge region and now forms the Magellanic Stream. Due to the friction the orbital velocity of the stream is slowed down so that it sags towards the galactic center, the tip now having a galactocentric distance half of that of the Magellanic Clouds.