NGC 2516
| NGC 2516 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Observation data (J2000.0 epoch) | |
| Right ascension | 7h 58m 20s |
| Declination | −60° 52′ |
| Distance | 1.3 kly |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 3.8 |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 30.0′ |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mass | 105 to 106 M☉ |
| Other designations | NGC 2516, C96 |
NGC 2516, also known as the Sprinter, is an open cluster in the southern sky in the constellation Carina near Volans discovered by Abbe Lacaille in 1751-1752. It has no commonly accepted name, and is just referred as NGC 2516.
Description
This bright cluster itself is easily visible with the naked eye from dark skies but binoculars will yield a much better view. It contains two beautiful 5th magnitude red giants and three double stars. A small telescope would be required to split the double stars, which are all pairs of 8-9 magnitude and 5-10" separation.[1]
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.[2]
References
- ↑ Burnham (1978), Vol I p.458
- ↑ Jilinski, E., Ortega, V.G., de la Reza, R., Drake, N.A., and Bazzanella, B. (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
