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NGC 362

Globular Cluster Showpiece (78/100)
NGC 362 GlobularCluster Tuc Visible Level 1 Naked eye / Binoculars - Higher magnification helpful
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Properties

Magnitude 6.6
Angular Size 8.7′
glob. cl. , vB, vL, vC, vmbM st 13-14

Position & Identifiers

RA 01h 03m 12.0s
Dec -70° 50' 60.0"
Constellation Tuc
Catalog NGC 362

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Eyepiece View

108x TFOV: 0.5° Lim. mag: 13.3
N E

NGC 362 · 8.7′ diameter · N up, E left

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About NGC 362

Description

NGC 362 is a bright globular cluster in Tucana, about 27,700 light-years away. At magnitude 6.6 and spanning 13 arcminutes, it appears projected against the outskirts of the Small Magellanic Cloud, though it is actually a foreground Milky Way object.

Observing Tips

A fine globular visible in binoculars near the Small Magellanic Cloud. A 6-inch telescope resolves the outer stars at 100x+. The nearby SMC provides a beautiful backdrop. Best from southern latitudes in autumn and winter.

History

Discovered by James Dunlop on August 31, 1826 from Australia. Its apparent proximity to the SMC initially caused confusion about its true distance until spectroscopy confirmed it as a Milky Way cluster.

Fun Facts

NGC 362 is a relatively young globular cluster at about 10-11 billion years old, making it 2-3 billion years younger than most Milky Way globulars. Its retrograde orbit hints at an extragalactic origin.