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]
NGC 376 | |
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Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
Right ascension | 01h 03m 50.21s[1] |
Declination | −72° 49′ 33.5″[1] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 10.90[1] |
Physical characteristics | |
Mass | 3,400±400[2] M☉ |
Estimated age | 28±7[3] Myr |
Other designations | ESO 029-SC 029.[4] |
Associations | |
Constellation | Tucana |
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]