| NGC 346 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) James Webb Space Telescope image of NGC 346 | |
| Observation data (J2000epoch) | |
| Right ascension | 00h 59m 05.090s[1] |
| Declination | −72° 10′ 33.24″[1] |
| Distance | 210,000light-years |
| Physical characteristics | |
| H II region | |
| Other designations | ESO 51-10,[2] N66 |
| Associations | |
| Constellation | Tucana[3] |
| See also:Open cluster,List of open clusters | |
NGC 346 is a young[4]open cluster of stars with associatednebula located in theSmall Magellanic Cloud (SMC) that appears in the southernconstellation ofTucana. It was discovered August 1, 1826 by Scottish astronomerJames Dunlop.J. L. E. Dreyer described it as, "bright, large, very irregular figure, much brighter middle similar to double star, mottled but not resolved".[5] On the outskirts of the cluster is themultiple star systemHD 5980,[6] one of the brightest stars in the SMC.
This cluster is located near the center of the brightestH II region in the SMC, designated N66.[7] This is positioned in the northeast section of thegalactic bar.[8] Stellar surveys have identified 230 massiveOB stars in the direction of this cluster.[4] 33 of the cluster members areO-type stars, with 11 of type O6.5 orearlier.[8] The inner15 pc radius of the cluster appears centrally condensed, while the area outside that volume is more dispersed.[9] The youngest cluster members near the center have ages of less than two million years,[7] and observations suggests the cluster is still engaged in high massstar formation.[7] The cluster star formation rate is estimated at(4±1)×10−3 M☉ yr−1.[9]
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| Walborn | ELS | MPG | NMC | SSN | Spectral type | Effective temperature (K) | Absolute magnitude | Bolometric magnitude | Mass (M☉) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 207758 | 755 (HD 5980/AB5) | LBV WN4 OI | 45,000 45,000 34,000 | −7.1 (−8.1) −6.8 −6.7 | −11.135 −10.885 −9.885 | 61 66 34 | |||
| 1 | 435 | 26 | 7 | O5.5If | 43,400 | −6.7 | −10.7 | 91 | |
| 1 | 789 | 5 | O7If | 38,900 | −7 | −10.7 | 85 | ||
| 3 | 355 | 29 | 9 | O3V | 51,300 | −5.7 | −10.3 | 76 | |
| 6 | 7 | 324 | 32 | 13 | O4V | 48,600 | −5.2 | −9.6 | 54 |
| 4 | 342 | 30 | 11 | O5.5V | 44,900 | −5.5 | −9.7 | 53 | |
| 368 | 28 | 15 | O5.5V | 44,900 | −5 | −9.2 | 43 | ||
| 2 | 470 | 25 | O8.5III | 35,700 | −5.4 | −8.9 | 34 |
Media related toNGC 346 at Wikimedia Commons| Stars |
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