Located in the
constellation of Cancer is an impressive galactic cluster of
stars known as M44. This famous cluster is also known as
Praesepe, and more recently, the Beehive Cluster. The Beehive
was given this name because to some it resembles a swarm of
bees. It is one of the few deep-sky objects visible to the naked
eye and has been known since ancient times. M44 consists of
about 350 stars, 40 of which are bright enough to be seen in a
small telescope. This cluster is about 577 light-years from
Earth and is believed to be approximately 400 million years old.
