NGC 346 is a young[4] open cluster of stars with associated nebula located in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) that appears in the southern constellation of Tucana.

J. L. E. Dreyer described it as, "bright, large, very irregular figure, much brighter middle similar to double star, mottled but not resolved".

[9] Recent observations[10] by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have provided unprecedented insights into NGC 346.

These observations have revealed surprising details about the cluster's dust environment, challenging previous assumptions and shedding light on the processes of protostar formation and early planetary development within this dynamic stellar nursery.

Webb's observations mark a significant advancement in our understanding of star formation in the Small Magellanic Cloud and offer exciting avenues for further research into the cosmic evolution of galaxies.