Fact Sheet
Stellar Swarm
M44, also known as the "Beehive," is one of the brightest star clusters in the night sky. It's especially easy to find right now because the planet Saturn is passing in front of the cluster. Saturn looks like a bright golden star. It's low in the east as darkness falls, with the stars of the Beehive (shown in this telescopic view) nearby. The cluster looks like a tiny, hazy patch of light to the unaided eye. Binoculars reveal several of its individual stars. [Credit: 2MASS]
|