Deep space
Beehive Cluster
Open cluster · M44 · NGC 2632
Open cluster in Cancer
Photo: Giuseppe Donatiello from Oria (Brindisi), Italy · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
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.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In your sky
Share your location to see where this is in your sky right now.
Key facts
Distance
~577 light-years
Apparent mag.
+3.7
Apparent size
95′
Best seen with
Naked eye
Catalogue
M44 · NGC 2632
Did you know
- Listed as Messier 44 in the Messier catalogue, also known as NGC 2632.
- Found in the constellation Cancer.
- Bright enough to see with the naked eye.
