Beehive
Star cluster in Cancer · 577 light-years
🔭 Explore Beehive in the 3D map →View Beehive images →| Type | Star cluster |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cancer |
| Right ascension | 8h 40m 22s |
| Declination | +19° 40′ |
| Object distance | 577 light-years |
| Apparent magnitude | 3.1 |
| Apparent size | 108.6′ (arc-minutes) |
| Approx. true diameter | 18.2 light-years across |
| Also known as | M44 · NGC 2632 · Praesepe Cluster |
Messier 44, popularly known as the Beehive, is a star cluster (also catalogued as NGC 2632) in Cancer — a gravitationally bound family of stars sharing a common origin. It was recorded by Charles Messier in his famous catalogue of 110 deep-sky objects. It spans roughly 108.6 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 3.1, it is bright enough to glimpse with the unaided eye under a dark sky.
Although it appears about 108.6′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 18.2 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.
Observing Beehive
Beehive lies in the constellation Cancer and is best placed in the evening sky around January. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. Lying near the celestial equator, it can be seen from both hemispheres. At its brightness it can be found with the unaided eye under a dark sky and is easy in binoculars.
See Beehive in Universe Finder
Open the interactive 3D map to fly to Beehive and see it in context among the real stars around it. Launch the 3D view →
Sources
- Position, magnitude and angular size from the OpenNGC catalogue (Mattia Verga).
- Object identity cross-referenced with SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg).
- Image credits and the original observation source are linked with each photograph.
Related objects
- Pleiades — star cluster
- Hercules Cluster — star cluster
- Small Sgr Star Cloud — star cluster
- Messier 25 — star cluster
- Messier 103 — star cluster