Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Tucana (Tuc)  ·  Contains:  IC 1655  ·  IC 1662  ·  NGC 152  ·  NGC 176  ·  NGC 220  ·  NGC 231  ·  NGC 242  ·  NGC 248  ·  NGC 249  ·  NGC 256  ·  NGC 261  ·  NGC 265  ·  NGC 267  ·  NGC 269  ·  NGC 290  ·  NGC 292  ·  NGC 294  ·  NGC 299  ·  NGC 306  ·  NGC 330  ·  NGC 339  ·  NGC 346  ·  NGC 361  ·  NGC 362  ·  NGC 371  ·  NGC 416  ·  NGC 419  ·  NGC 456  ·  NGC 460  ·  NGC 465  ·  And 1 more.
Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Small Magellanic Cloud, Jeff Coldrey
Powered byPixInsight

Small Magellanic Cloud

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Small Magellanic Cloud, Jeff Coldrey
Powered byPixInsight

Small Magellanic Cloud

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

Processing images of the Magellanic Clouds has been on my "to do" list since I embarked on the slippery slope of astrophotography over a decade ago now ... talk about procrastination! This is my first attempt at the SMC.

Color data was captured in October 2018 using an ASI094mc OSC camera. A mixture of 5 minutes and 2 minute subs were used to retain star colors. Blended with 2 panels of luminance data acquired June 2020 using an ASI1600 to improve image resolution.

I would love to capture a wider field including the much larger 47 Tuc globular down the track, along with some Ha and OIII exposures.

From Wikipedia:

The Magellanic Clouds have a common envelope of neutral hydrogen indicating they have been gravitationally bound for a long time. This bridge of gas is a star forming site.

From O'Meara, Deep Sky Companions - Caldwell Objects:

The small globular cluster to the upper left is NGC 362 which has an overabundance of binary stars, and a highly eccentric orbit taking it close top the galactic core.

Thanks for looking!

Comments

Sky plot

Sky plot

Histogram

Small Magellanic Cloud, Jeff Coldrey