A revised and extended catalog of Magellanic System clusters, associations, and emission nebulae. I. Small Magellanic Cloud and bridge

Abstract

A survey of extended objects in the Magellanic System was carried out on the ESO ISERC R and J Sky Survey Atlases. The present work is dedicated to the Small Magellanic Cloud and to the inter-Magellanic Cloud region ("Bridge") totaling 1188 objects, ofwhich 554 are classified as star clusters, 343 are emissionless associations, and 291 are related to emission nebulae. The survey includes cross-identifications among catalogs, and we present 284 new objects. We provide accurate positions, classification, homogeneous sizes, and position angles, as well as information on cluster pairs and hierarchical relation for superimposed objects. Two clumps of extended objects in the Bridge and one at the Small Magellanic Cloud wing tip might be currently forming dwarf spheroidal galaxies.