- There are two types of irregulars. Irregular I galaxies are similar to spirals because they have lots of gas and young stars, but they don't have spiral arms. Irregular II galaxies are distorted and strange looking. Their appearance leads some astronomers to think that Irregular II galaxies may have collided with another galaxy at some time during their lives.
- If you live south of the Equator, you may be able to see two irregular type galaxies in your night sky. The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are two very nearby irregular galaxies which are orbitting the Milky Way. Because they are nearby and fairly bright, they can be seen with the unaided eye.
- Magellanic cloud can easily be seen with the naked eye from the southern hemisphere, appearing as bright patches in the Milky Way. The average distance to these clouds is about four times the diameter of our galaxy, and it is this small separation that causes the systems to interact.