Praesepe, Beehive Cluster (Messier 44)

Messier 44
Messier 44: Section of DSS (POSS2 Red) from CDS Aladin Lite [147]

History

The open star cluster Messier 44 in the constellation Cancer is also called «Beehive Cluster» or «Praesaepe». Because it can easily be seen as a misty spot with the naked eye even under modest observation conditions, it has been known for many centuries. For example, Hipparchus (130 B.C.) called it a «little cloud». He included M 44 as a «cloudy star» in his star catalog. [Jones] It was not until 1610 that Galileo Galilei discovered with the telescope he had built that it was a collection of stars. [4]

❝ Am Firmament funkeln die Sterne.
Die winzigen Lichtchen, ich sehe sie gerne.
Gern seh' ich auch die Nebel dort oben
und Dunkelwolken zu Netzen verwoben,
ferne Milchstrassen, 'nahe' Planeten,
schnuppende Sterne und hübsche Kometen.
Nur eines darf mir gestohlen werden:
planetarische Nebel hier unten auf Erden. ❞

Physical Properties

Baade estimates the age of M 44 to be around 400 million years, other data go up to 660 million years. This star cluster is significantly older than the Pleiades (M 45). Its mean density of 1.5 stars per cubic parsec is very low, in the center it reaches 13.8 stars per cubic parsec (Wallenquist).

Trümpler gives the diameter of the star cluster as almost 6 degrees, including all faint stars; Its classification of the cluster is I, 2, r. The distance from M 44 is currently given as about 180 parsec.

Revised+Historic NGC/IC Version 22/9, © 2022 Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke [277]
Designation NGC 2632
Type OCL (II2m)
Right Ascension (J2000.0) 08h 40m 24.0s
Declination (J2000.0) +19° 40' 12"
Diameter 70 arcmin
Photographic (blue) magnitude 3.5 mag
Visual magnitude 3.1 mag
Metric Distance 0.187 kpc
Dreyer Description Paesepe Cancri
Identification, Remarks M 44, OCL 507, Praesepe, Beehive cluster

Galaxies behind M 44

Behind the open star cluster are a number of galaxies, most of which appear to us to be small and faint. For this reason they are only listed here for the sake of form.

Revised+Historic NGC/IC Version 22/9, © 2022 Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke [277]
Name RA Dec Type bMag vMag B-V SB Dim PA z D(z) MD Dreyer Description Identification, Remarks
NGC 2624 08 38 09.6 +19 43 34 Gx (S) 14.9 14.1 0.8 12.6 0.6 × 0.5 15 0.013903 58.73 eF UGC 4506, MCG 3-22-19, CGCG 89-55, ARAK 172, NPM1G +19.0183, in M44
NGC 2625 08 38 23.1 +19 42 58 Gx (E1) 14.9 13.9 1.0 13.0 0.7 × 0.6 45 0.015090 63.74 eF, vS MK 625, CGCG 89-57, in M 44
NGC 2637 08 41 13.4 +19 41 25 Gx (S?) 15.5 14.7 0.8 13.0 0.6 × 0.4 30 0.032374 136.7 eeF, vS CGCG 89-65
NGC 2643 08 42 09.0 +19 31 20 NF eF neb * IC 2390 ?
NGC 2647 08 42 43.0 +19 39 04 Gx (C) 15.3 14.3 1.0 13.2 0.8 × 0.5 18 0.055001 232.3 Neb * CGCG 89-68, NPM1G +19.0188, in M 44
IC 2388 08 39 56.5 +19 38 41 Gx (S) 15.5 14.7 0.8 11.8 0.4 × 0.2 160 0.032734 138.2 eF, S, dif, ? FN, * 10 n 90" CGCG 89-63, in M 44

Where do you find the swarm of bees?

The constellation Cancer is located between Leo and Gemini. If you lengthen the distance between the two bright twin stars Castor and Pollux by about three times to the southeast, you can see M44 with the naked eye. not far from the 4 mag bright star δ Cancri (Asellus Australis). The close-up is used to identify the small, faint galaxies.

Finder Chart Praesepe, Beehive Cluster (Messier 44)
Praesepe, Beehive Cluster (Messier 44) in constellation Cancer. Charts created using SkySafari 6 Pro and STScI Digitized Sky Survey. Limiting magnitudes: Constellation chart ~6.5 mag, DSS2 close-ups ~20 mag. [149, 160]

Visual Observation

Naked Eye, Binocular, RFT: With its size of a good one and a half degrees (three times the full moon diameter), the star cluster itself is best seen in binoculars and small telescopes with a large field of view. Then a dense, impressive cloud of bright stars appears.

400mm Aperture: But M 44 also has a lot to offer for the observer with a large telescope aperture, because behind the open star cluster there are a number of galaxies. Almost all of them can be detected with an aperture of 400 mm under an average sky (~6 mag). However, the presence of the bright stars of M44 makes observation more difficult, as is the case with Leo I.

NGC 2624
NGC 2625
PGC 24284400x: small, round, at the limit
PGC 24335not yet proven
IC 2388400x: round, even surface at the limit
UGC 4526400x: even surface, elongated with position angle 230°
NGC 2637not yet proven
NGC 2643400x: large, round surface
NGC 2647226x: small, round surface, bright, compact core visible with averted vision

Frank H. Leiter

More Objects Nearby (±15°)

References