# NGC 362

NGC 362 (Caldwell 104) is a globular cluster located in the constellation Tucana in the Southern Hemisphere, slightly north of the Small Magellanic Cloud. It was discovered on August 1, 1826 by James Dunlop.[5] It is visible to the naked eye in dark skies, and is an impressive sight in a telescope, although it is somewhat overshadowed by its larger and brighter neighbour 47 Tucanae.[6]

NGC 362
False-color image of NGC 362 by GALEX;
Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/University of Virginia/R. Schiavon (Univ. of Virginia)
Observation data
ClassIII[1]
ConstellationTucana
Right ascension 01h 03m 14.26s[2]
Declination−70° 50′ 55.6″[2]
Distance27.7 kly (8.5 kpc)[3]
Apparent magnitude (V)6.4
Apparent dimensions (V)12.9′
Physical characteristics
Metallicity${\displaystyle {\begin{smallmatrix}\left[{\ce {Fe}}/{\ce {H}}\right]\end{smallmatrix}}}$ = –1.09[4] dex
Estimated age10.37 Gyr[4]
Image of NGC 362 by Hubble Space Telescope

The stars of NGC 362 have an average metallicity higher than the stars in most globulars. This implies that NGC 362 is a relatively young globular cluster.[6] It also has an overabundance of binary stars, and an exceptionally tight core 13 light-years in diameter.[6] The orbit of NGC 362 is highly eccentric, taking it to within 3,260 light-years of the galactic center.[6]