The Southern Beehive

NGC 2516, also known as the Southern Beehive, is one of the brightest and richest open clusters in the constellation Carina, located just over 1,000 light-years from Earth. It was discovered in 1751 by the French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille during his observations from the Cape of Good Hope. The short integration time was not sufficient to fully reveal the faint IFN surrounding this region. Nearby, although not included in this field of view, lies the beautiful IC 2220 - Toby Jug Nebula, a rare reflection nebula illuminated by the red giant HR 3126.