M44 is an open cluster of stars in the constellation Cancer. M44 is one of the nearest open star clusters to us, and is visible to the naked eye. As a result, the star cluster was known to the ancients as the Praesepe (which is a Latin translation of the ancient Greek name Phatne). To the naked eye, M44 looks like a hazy patch in the sky. When Galileo turned a telescope toward the heavens in the early 1600's, he was the first to realize that the Praesepe was a cluster of stars. Another popular name for M44 is the Beehive star cluster. The Hipparcos satellite determined that this star cluster is 577 light-years away. M44 is estimated to be about 600 to 730 million years old.
The constellation Cancer has two objects that are listed in the Messier Catalog. In addition to M44, Cancer also includes the M67 star cluster.
This is an RGB color composite CCD image taken with an SBIG STL-11000M CCD and a Takahashi Epsilon 180ED telescope at f2.8. The image was taken from my backyard in Scottsdale, Arizona.
M44 (NGC 2632)
Constellation: Cancer
RA: 08h 39m 57s Dec: +19d 40' 21" (J2000)
December 30 & 31, 2012
Image by Sid Leach
Scottsdale, Arizona
Recent Images.
Complete list of images.
Description of equipment used to acquire images.
Home
Feedback and comments should go to Sid