The Beehive Cluster (M44) is one of the closest open clusters to Earth and has been known since ancient times. It was cataloged by Charles Messier in 1769 and contains over 1,000 stars, many of which are visible to the naked eye under dark skies. Its stars are loosely bound by gravity and spread across a large area, making it an easy target for amateur astronomers. The cluster’s bright and colorful stars make it a popular subject for astrophotography.
Names and Catalog Numbers
- Beehive Cluster
- Messier 44
- Melotte 88
- NGC 2632
Position and the Cosmic Neighborhood
The Beehive Cluster is situated in the heart of the constellation Cancer, forming the center of its distinctive “Y” shape. It lies between the brighter constellations of Leo and Gemini, making it easier to locate using nearby stars like Regulus or Pollux as reference points. The cluster is surrounded by a relatively sparse cosmic neighborhood, with other notable objects such as Messier 67 and the Leo Triplet located nearby.
Nice to Know
- The Beehive Cluster was observed as early as ancient times by Ptolemy and later studied in detail by Galileo Galilei.
- It contains over 1,000 stars, including several giant stars and a significant number of red dwarfs.
- The first astrophotograph of M44 was taken in 1891 by Isaac Roberts using a 20-inch reflector telescope.
- Planets have been discovered orbiting some of its stars, marking a significant milestone in exoplanet research within star clusters.
Brightness, Distance, and Size
The Beehive Cluster has an apparent magnitude of 3.7, making it visible to the naked eye under dark skies. Located approximately 610 light-years away from Earth, it spans about 23 light-years across. In terms of apparent size, it covers about 95 arcminutes in the sky, which is over three times the diameter of the full Moon.
