NGC 346 & 371

 OPEN CLUSTER ASSOCIATED WITH NEBULOSITY

SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD - TUCANA  

(Image centered at: ra 01 h:02 m / dec - 71º 57')

ANNOTATED IMAGE

August 2023, Home Backyard in Martinez, Buenos Aires,  & August 2011, Intendente Alvear, La Pampa , Argentina 

DATA

TYPE: Open Cluster associated with Nebuosity

APPARENT DIAMETER: NGC 346 14 arc minutes; NGC 371 8 arc minutes

APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V): NGC 346 14 arc minutes; NGC 371 8 arc minutes

DISTANCE: 210.000 light years

IMAGE INFORMATION

INSTRUMENT (August 2023): 6" ORION OPTICS UK (Ultra Grade Optics) w/Sky Watcher Coma Corrector (0.9x) working at at f4.5

INSTRUMENT (August 2011): TMB 92 SS at f5.5

CAMERA (August 2023): QHY 183 MONO

CAMERA (August 2011): QSI 583 WS

MOUNT: SKY WATCHER NEQ6, OAG with Starlight Xpress Lodestar

FILTERS (August 2023): Optolong LRGB Set

FILTERS (August 2011): BAADER LRGB + HA Astronomik

SKY CONDITIONS: August 2023 urban skies - Bortle 8 & August 2011 rural skies - Bortle 2-3

EXPOSURES total integration: LHaRGB (70,90,70,70,70)

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

NGC 346 is a young open cluster of stars with associated nebula located in the Small Magellanic Cloud. In the image above the nebulosity to the right. It is  the brightest star-forming region in our satellite galaxy. The light, the wind, and the heat emitted by its massive stars scattered the glowing gas around a cluster, forming a thin surrounding nebulous structure. Stellar surveys had indicated 230 massive OB stars. OB stars are hot and massive stars usually form in loosely and organized groups call OB associations. This stars have a short life span and therefore they do not move much from the place they were born. To the left we have open cluster NGC 371. It contains stars that were born in the diffuse nebula. NGC 371 is of particular interest due to its unexpectedly large number of variable stars. Variable stars play a pivotal role in astronomy: some types are invaluable for determining distances to far-off galaxies and the age of the Universe.

NGC 346 & 371 IN THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD

IMAGE WITH LABELS