M44 The Beehive Cluster

 Posted: Apr 2nd, 2026
Show astrometry on hover
NGC
IC
HD
Technical Info
Telescope/Lens: 250мм Ньютон 1/4
Camera: QHY268M
Mount: Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6 GT
Guide Scope: QHY off-axis guider
Guide Camera: Lodestar
Software: N.I.N.A, PHD, Pixinsight
Exposure:
107 x 300" ISO/Gain: 25 - LRGB
Black, Bortle 1 zone:
 Astrohosting Izabis, Namibia
 Mar 15th, 2026
8 h 55 m
12
Resolution: 6147x4136 px
Scale: 33591 KB
M44, the Beehive Cluster in the constellation Cancer. This has been my favorite open star cluster since childhood, from reading F. Ziegel's book "Treasures of the Starry Sky." In the spring, when I was a schoolboy, I loved observing it through my "Tourist-4" spyglass :)

The cluster is about 700 million years old, making it relatively young, and is located approximately 600 light-years away. Interestingly, more than half of the stars in the cluster are orange or red M-class stars, but the bright blue giants catch the eye.
Add comment

Comments

There are no comments on this picture yet

Comments are available only to registered users. Register or log in to leave a comment.