Observations of The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)

NGC 256

NGC 256 is one of the most unusual open clusters in this area of the SMC.

The first thing you notice is that the cluster appears to be triangular in shape. It is very compact in size at 15 arc seconds across and has a high surface brightness. The total integrated magnitude is 12.2, so it should be visible in a 6" telescope, but to see it's distinctive shape I would recommend a 10" scope.

The cluster is located 10 arc minutes south east of NGC 242 with a 10th magnitude star 2 arc minutes north of the cluster. The cluster is homogenous in surface brightness with no appreciable nucleus. The edge of the cluster is sharply defined and resists resolution even in a 20" telescope. This object is listed in the field guide to Uranometria as an Emission nebulae. The RNGC lists NGC 256 as an open cluster with associated nebulosity. I was unable to locate any nebulae associated with the cluster, even using an OIII filter.