C104
NGC 362
Object Data
- Catalog Designation
- C104
- Type
- GlobularCluster
- Constellation
- Tucana
- Magnitude
- 6.6
- Right Ascension
- 01h 03m 14.2s
- Declination
- -70° 50' 56.4"
- Distance
- 27,700 light-years
- Angular Size
- 13
Survey Image
Loading survey image…
About C104
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.
Community Photos (1)
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Virginia/R. Schiavon (Univ. of Virginia). License: Public domain. (Wikimedia Commons)
Skybred Mar 2, 2026