This is the bright, large and colourful naked-eye star cluster NGC 2516 in Carina, aka the Southern Beehive Cluster, near the bright star Avior (Epsil
This is the bright, large and colourful naked-eye star cluster NGC 2516 in Carina, aka the Southern Beehive Cluster, near the bright star Avior (Epsilon Carinae) in Carina, the bottom star of the False Cross asterism. Above the star cluster is the yellow nebula, IC 2220, aka the Toby Jug Nebula or Butterfly Nebula. It is a rare reflection nebula made of material cast off the central red giant star HR 3126, but not a planetary nebula per se. The central star is still a red giant. With the aid of the Star XTerminator plug-in, I've processed the image to emphasize the faint wisps of other dusty reflection nebulas that permeate the field. This is a stack of 8 x 5 minute exposures with the Sharpstar 61mm EDPH III refractor at and the filter-modified (by ) Canon R at ISO 800. No filter was employed. On the Astro-Physics AP 400 mount autoguided with the MGEN3 autoguider. Taken from Australia in March 2024.
Size: 6720px × 4480px
Photo credit: © Alan Dyer / VWPics / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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