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| Catalogue and alternative designations | NGC 330 and NGC 346 |
| Type | Open Cluster and nebulae |
| Position | 00 56 18, -72 27 47 (NGC 330) |
| Constellation | Tucana |
| Camera and Telescope | STXL16200, STXL6303 and 36.8cm Ritchey Chretien |
| Focal Ratio | F9 |
| Exposure Details | The NGC 330 image was a LHaRGB exposure with Astrodon series 2 filters. Luminance = 100 minutes (unbinned) , Red = Green = Blue = 50 minutes (binned 2x2), Hydrogen Alpha = 280 minutes (binned 2x2). The NGC 346 image was a HaOIIIOIIILRGB exposure again using Astrodon filters but this time a STXL6303 camera. The STXL6303 exposure details were Hydrogen Alpha = 270 minutes, OIII = 360 minutes Red = Green = Blue = 60 minutes |
| Description |
Although it looks like a globular, NGC 330 is an open cluster in the SMC. It was discovered by Dunlop in 1826 and is a very easy telescopic object. It's about 1' across and about 182.6 thousand light years distant. NGC 330 is located about 20' to the SSW of NGC 346 (the right hand edge of this image) which is the most prominent star forming region in the SMC. The tiny cluster between NGC 330 and NGC 346 is NGC 416. |