The YMCA survey: overview and first results.

The Magellanic Clouds (MCs) are the Milky Way's most massive dwarf satellites. As they also represent the closest pair of galaxies in an ongoing tidal interaction, while simultaneously infalling into the MW halo, they provide a unique opportunity to study in detail an ongoing three-body encounter. We present the first results from the photometric survey "Yes, Magellanic Clouds Again" (YMCA, PI: V. Ripepi), which covers 110 sq. degrees in the outskirts of the MCs, achieving a photometric depth sufficient to resolve faint, old stellar populations. Overall, the YMCA survey led to some breakthrough outcomes about the past MCs evolutionary life. Our results include the discovery of LMC SCs with ages falling in the so-called age gap, a period almost devoid of SCs, and an old stellar system associated with the LMC, which has structural properties in between the globular clusters and the ultra-faint dwarf galaxies of the Local Group. These findings provide valuable insights into the evolution of the MCs and their intense interaction history, and highlight the importance of detailed photometric studies to uncover the elusive faint and old stellar populations on the outskirts of galaxies.