Colour–magnitude diagram (CMD) V,B − V of NGC 362 (light grey crosses). Stars selected for the present study are plotted as filled, larger symbols: blue squares are the stars observed with UVES, red circles are stars with GIRAFFE spectra, and green triangles are stars observed with GIRAFFE but not analyzed (see text). The faint blue and red sequences are due to the young main sequence stars and old red giants of the Small Magellanic Cloud.