NGC 121 BR photometry

If instead (m-M)o = 19.3, then the cluster age is 9+/-2x10^9^yr. The cluster is known to contain both RR Lyrae variables and a marginal carbon star; comparison with theoretical models indicates no significant inconsistencies in this joint occurrence at either modulus.

The color-magnitude diagram for the nearby field also shows a faint, blue main-sequence turnoff and, in contrast to previous Magellanic Cloud field studies, the field lacks any evidence for the existence of a significant intermediate-age component. A new look at the chemical evolution of the Small Magellanic Cloud suggests that, unlike the Galaxy, where the rate of enrichment has been steady after the initial phase, the enrichment in the SMC remained small for a long interval before increasing rapidly sometime in the last 1-2x10^9^yr.