M 44

The Beehive Cluster (also known as Praesepe), M44,  is an open cluster in the constellation Cancer. One of the nearest open clusters to Earth, it contains a larger population of stars than other nearby bright open clusters. M44 has been known since ancient times. It was among the first objects that Galileo studied with his telescope. Age and proper motion coincide with those of the Hyades, suggesting they may share similar origins. Distance to M44 is 182 pc, with age estimates of around 600 million years

Open cluster M 44 (Praesepe),  8 April 2016, Noordwijk, William Optics 110 mm APO FLT f/7, Canon EOS 600D, UV-IR, UHC filter,  800 ISO, 60 sec, fitswork

Open cluster M 44 (Praesepe), Vorst (D), 23 March 2020, William Optics 110 mm APO FLT f/7, Canon EOS 600D, UV-IR, UHC filter, 800 ISO, f = 770 mm, 3000 sec, PixInsight V 1.8.8-5

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