M44 · open cluster

Beehive Cluster

The Beehive Cluster is an open cluster in the constellation Cancer.

RA08h 40m 22sDec+19° 40' 19"

Image: Chuck Ayoub. CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Identity & coordinates

Identification

Primary designation: M44
All designations: M44 · NGC 2632 · Beehive Cluster
Object type: Open Cluster
Constellation: Cancer
Best viewing: Winter · Spring

Coordinates & physical

Right ascension (J2000): 08h 40m 22s
Declination (J2000): +19° 40' 19"
Apparent magnitude (V): —
Distance: —

III

Visibility tonight

The science

The Beehive Cluster is an open cluster in the constellation Cancer. One of the nearest open clusters to Earth, it contains a larger population of stars than other nearby bright open clusters holding around 1,000 stars. Under dark skies, the Beehive Cluster looks like a small nebulous object to the naked eye, and has been known since ancient times. Classical astronomer Ptolemy described it as a "nebulous mass in the breast of Cancer". It was among the first objects that Galileo studied with his

telescope.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA-4.0