NGC 376

NGC 376
Hubble Space Telescope image of NGC 376
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Right ascension01h 03m 50.21s[1]
Declination−72° 49′ 33.5″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)10.90[1]
Physical characteristics
Mass3,400±400[2] M☉
Estimated age28±7[3] Myr
Other designationsESO 029-SC 029.[4]
Associations
ConstellationTucana
See also: Open cluster, List of open clusters

NGC 376 is a young[2] open cluster of stars in the southern constellation of Tucana. It was discovered on September 2, 1826, by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop. Dreyer, a Danish/British astronomer, described it as a "globular cluster, bright, small, round."[5] It is irregular in form, with a central spike.[2]

The cluster is located in the eastern extension of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a nearby dwarf galaxy. It may have already lost 90% of its original mass and is in the process of dissolving into the SMC. As a result, it has achieved a relatively low concentration of stars and is no longer in dynamic equilibrium. The cluster is about 28[3] million years old and contains ~3,400 times the mass of the Sun.[2] It has a core radius of 7.6 ± 0.3 ly and a tidal radius of 19.2 ± 0.7 ly.[3]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Rafelski2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Perren2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Sabbi2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference SIMBAD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference cseligman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).