APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
M44: A Beehive of Stars
Explanation: M44 is a prominent open cluster of stars. Nicknamed Praesepe and “The Beehive”, it is one of the few open clusters visible to the unaided eye. M44 was thought to be a nebula until Galileo used an early telescope to resolve the cluster's bright blue stars. These stars are visible in the above image . M44 , which is thought to have formed about 400 million years ago, is larger and older than most other open clusters . The Beehive Cluster lies about 580 light-years away, and spans about 10 light-years across. When viewed with a powerful telescope, hundreds of stars become visible.
| Date | August 3, 1998 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit & Copyright: Wil Milan |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |