NGC 2516

NGC 2516
Observation data (J2000.0 epoch)
Right ascension	7^h 58^m 20^s
Declination	−60° 52′
Distance	1.3 kly
Apparent magnitude (V)	3.8
Apparent dimensions (V)	30.0′
Physical characteristics
Mass	10^5 to 10^6 M☉
Other designations	NGC 2516, C96

NGC 2516 is an open star cluster in the southern sky in the constellation Carina discovered by Abbe Lacaille in 1751-1752. It is also called Southern Beehive^[1][2] or the Sprinter.^[3][4]

Description

This bright cluster itself is easily visible with the naked eye as a hazy patch, but is resolvable into stars using binoculars. It contains two 5th magnitude red giant stars and three main visual double stars: HJ 4027, HJ 4031 and I 29. A small telescope would be required to split the double stars, which are all pairs of 8-9 magnitude and 1-10 arcseconds separation.^[5]

NGC 2516 and the recently discovered nearby star cluster Mamajek 2 in Ophiuchus have similar age and metallicity. Recently, kinematic evidence was presented by E. Jilinksi and coauthors that suggests that these two stellar groups may have formed in the same star-forming complex some 135 million years ago.^[6]

References

1. Weule, Genelle (2010). "Beginner's Guide to the Night Sky : Summer Sky Tour". abc.com. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
2. Ventrudo, Brian (2009). "ESA's 'The "Southern Beehive" Cluster". americaspace.com. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
3. Papadopoulos, Leonidas (2014). "ESA's 'Mission: Impossible' Sees First Light: Gaia Opens Her Eyes to the Galaxy « AmericaSpace". americaspace.com. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
4. Imaging the Southern Sky : An Amateur Astronomer’s Guide Chadwick, S., Cooper, I., pg.viii, Pub. Springer (2012)
5. Burnham (1978), Vol I p.458
6. Jilinski, E.; Ortega, V.G.; de la Reza, R.; Drake, N.A.; et al. (2009). "Dynamical Evolution and Spectral Characteristics of the Stellar Group Mamajek 2". Astrophysical Journal. 691 (1): 212. Bibcode:2009ApJ...691..212J. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/691/1/212.

Bibliography

• Burnham, Robert. Burnham's Celestial Handbook. Dover, 1978. ISBN 0-486-23567-X.

External links

• NGC 2516 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images

Coordinates: 07^h 58^m 20^s, −60° 52′ 00″