| Beehive Cluster |
Article Index for Beehive |
Website Links For Cluster |
Information AboutBeehive Cluster |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BEEHIVE CLUSTER | |
| cancer constellation | |
| messier objects | |
| beehive cluster | |
| ngc objects | |
| open clusters | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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The Beehive Cluster (also known as '''Praesepe''', '''Messier 44''' or '''NGC 2632''') is an Open Cluster in the Constellation Cancer . The cluster was known to Aratus by 260 BC and Charles Messier included it in his catalogue of Comet like objects despite its obvious nature as a star cluster. The Beehive Cluster lies at a distance of about 577 Light Years from Earth , making it one of the closest clusters after the Ursa Major Moving Cluster , the Hyades and the Pleiades . It is visible to the Naked Eye although it is best observed with Binoculars or with a wide-field Telescope at low magnification. Messier 44's age is estimated at about 730 million years. One of the brighter components of the Beehive Cluster is Epsilon Cancri , which is also known as 41 Cancri. Originally, the Bayer Designation ε Cancri was applied to the entire cluster. EXTERNAL LINKS |