The Little Beehive Star Cluster in Canis Major over Vera Rubin Observatory

The Little Beehive Star Cluster in Canis Major over Vera Rubin Observatory

The National Science Foundation and Department of Energy (NSF–DOE) Vera C. Rubin Observatory on Cerro Pachón in Chile is seen with its dome open during First Look observation activities in April 2025. Messier 41, the Little Beehive Cluster, can be seen over the telescope in this telelens photo. Cerro Pachón is a mountain in central Chile, located east of the city of La Serena in the Coquimbo Region.

Messier 41 (also known as M41 or NGC 2287) is an open cluster in the constellation Canis Major. Located approximately four degrees south of Sirius, it forms a roughly equilateral triangle with Sirius and Nu2 Canis Majoris, visible together in binoculars. The cluster spans an area comparable to the size of the full Moon and contains about a hundred stars, including several red giants and white dwarfs.

Learn more about the new Vera Rubin Observatory:

https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/vera-c-rubin-observatory

An Introduction to Vera Rubin:

https://rubinobservatory.org/about/vera-rubin

Credits: RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava)
Release Date: June 23, 2025

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