NGC 299

NGC 299
Hubble Space Telescope image of the cluster NGC 299
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Right ascension00h 53m 24.74s[1]
Declination−72° 11′ 47.6″[1]
Distance200 kly[2]
Apparent magnitude (V)11.73±0.12[1]
Apparent dimensions (V)0.9' x 0.9'[3]
Physical characteristics
Mass600±200[4] M☉
Estimated age26+15
−9 Myr[4]
Other designationsESO 051-SC 005.[5]
Associations
ConstellationTucana
See also: Open cluster, List of open clusters

NGC 299 is an open cluster of stars in the main body of the Small Magellanic Cloud[6] – a nearby dwarf galaxy. It is located in the southern constellation of Tucana, just under 200,000 light years distant from the Sun.[2] The cluster was discovered on August 12, 1834, by English astronomer John Herschel.[7]

The cluster is around 25 million years old with 600 times the mass of the Sun. It spans a radius of 24 ly (7.3 pc). The metallicity of the cluster, what astronomers term the abundance of elements more massive than helium, is almost identical to that of the Sun.[4] The cluster is old enough that the stellar winds from the most massive members has dispersed all of the original dust and gas. Hence, star formation has come to a halt.[6] Two eclipsing binaries and one probable Be star have been identified, but the cluster is lacking any low-amplitude pulsating variables.[8]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Rafelski2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference HST was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Perren2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference ned was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Sabbi2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cseligman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sanders2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).