Observations of The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)

NGC 220

This is the first in a group of 3 open clusters that sit right on the western edge of an SMC star cloud.

The cluster is located 25 arc minutes south east of NGC 176. The small cluster is 40 arc seconds in diameter with a condense nucleus that is quite bright. The total magnitude of the cluster is 11.5, the cluster should be visible in a 6" telescope. In the 20" the stars in the outskirts of the cluster start to resolve and a faint chain of stars becomes visible. This makes the cluster appear oval in shape. A 10th magnitude star lies between NGC 220 and the next cluster in line.