| Name | Beehive Cluster |
| Designation(s) | M44, NGC 2632 |
| Object Type(s) | Open Cluster |
| Relevant Catalog(s) | All (Chron), Messier, NGC |
| Obs. Lat/Long | 42° 17', 073° 57' |
| Constellation | Gemini |
| Date and Time Observed | 2024-04-20 21:54:00 |
| Instrument | EdgeHD 8" f10-2,032mm FL |
| Camera | Built-in IMX462 Sensor |
| Image Details | Transparency: Fair. Seeing: Fair. Total integration time was 2m. Exposures 10s@auto gain. 93% moon; intermittent high clouds. Darks subtracted, no flats. . |
| Description | This was the third of four entries in Messier's pre-publication push, a naked-eye cluster that has been known since antiquity. Messier's entry: "(March 4, 1769) `Cluster of stars known by the name of the nebula in Cancer.'" <--> This was one of my favorite binocular targets in March of 23 when I was without a telescope. In binoculars, this is a reasonably "dense" target. It was my first experience of finding a target using a map and my wits rather than a computerized GoTo mount, and I enjoyed it immensely. Frankly, it looks more convincingly like a beehive in binoculars than it does in this image. |
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