NGC 1777

NGC 1777 is an intermediate-age open cluster located in the Large Magellanic Cloud within the southern constellation of Mensa. Although sometimes discussed in the context of globular cluster due to its dense, populous structure and appearance, it is typically classified as an open cluster given its age and characteristics. It is one of 15 populous LMC clusters studied extensively using HST/WFPC2 color-magnitude diagrams, with ages ranging from approximately 0.3 to 3 billion years.
The object was discovered on November 11, 1836 by astronomer John Herschel.

Characteristics

NGC 1777 is positioned in the remote outer regions of the LMC, with its colour-magnitude diagram showing similarity to other LMC clusters and indicating no significant metallicity gradient within the studied sample. Photometric studies, including integrated UBV and CCD photometry, reveal a faint, circular appearance in telescopes. The surrounding stellar field contains stars in the age range of 1–3 billion years, suggesting a shared formation history with the cluster.