I am always intrigued to see star clusters, perhaps because the stars resemble jewels bunched together in the sky 😍. The Beehive Cluster (M44) is one of my favorites because it features giant hot blue and orange stars blended in a sea of apparent smaller stars.
M44 is an open cluster located in the constellation of Cancer (see here). It is one of the nearest open clusters to Earth and contains around 1,000 stars.
A wide field image of the Beehive Cluster (M44)
Under dark skies, M44 appears as a nebulous region to the unaided eyes. With a small telescope scope, you will not believe your eyes (literally), to see so many stars in one spot of the sky. But don’t take my word for it; give it a try. Grab your telescope, look up and experience an amazing Universe!
Gear: AA Hypercam 26C, Askar 80 PHQ, HEM27 mount, Optolong CLS; ZWO OAG + AA120mc
Exif: 32 x 5-min lights; Gain 200, Offset 3, TEC @ 10 degrees; 20 darks
Software: SharpCap, PHD2; AstroPixelProcessor, PixInsight; Photoshop
Absolutely beautiful! God’s JEWELS!
Thank you Auntie. Indeed and these few just scratch the surface of His handiwork 😊
A wonderful target through a wide variety of telescopes or even binoculars!
Nice job! 👍
Thank you my friend. Happy new year to you.
Happy New Year, and Clear Skies! 🎉