Ngc2516

NGC 2516 (also known as C 96) is a highly concentrated open cluster visible in the southern constellation of Carena.

NGC 2516 is a very luminous cluster, the distance of which is estimated to be around 1330 light years and is therefore located within the Orion Arm, a short distance from the boundaries of the great Gum Nebula.

NGC 2516 has about a hundred certain members, some of which are giant stars: in fact there are some orange giants, a red giant irregular variable, and other stars; similar to the central part of the Nativity cluster, NGC 2516 appears to show typical signs of the mass segregation phenomenon, while the Distribution of components is irregular, with some dark bands less dense.

The age of the cluster is estimated to be around 60 million years and is one of seven open-sky clusters that show the same age and a motorcycle in common space, including the Pleiades, the Southern Pleiades and the Alpha Persei Cluster.

The first to report the presence of this cluster in the Celestial Time was Abbot Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, who discovered it during his stay in Cape Town and included it in his catalogue published in 1755; here he classifies it as a nebular object and points it as a dense group of 10-12 stars. Actually the nebulity was due to the partial resolution of the cluster that Lacaille could perform, as John Herschel would have confirmed a little less than a century later: he actually referred to it as a compact object consisting of 200-250 stars and devoid of luminosity, with an orange star in the center of the magnitude to be taken.

Data acquired at Chilescope

ASA Newton 500 @1900mm, f/3.8

ASA DDM85 equatorial mount

FLI PL16803 CCD camera

Astrodon R/G/B filters 3x(2x300")

APP, PixInsight, PS

copyright: Massimo Fusco