Praesepe

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Praesepe

Praesepe (prēsēˈpē) [Lat.,=manger], open star cluster in the constellation Cancer; cataloged as M44 or NGC 2632. It was first recorded by Hipparchus (c.150 B.C.). The cluster is often called the Beehive because of its shape. It contains several hundred stars, many of which are doubles. It is faintly visible to the naked eye and an excellent object for a low-power telescope.
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Praesepe

(pri-see -pee) (Beehive; M44; NGC 2632) A large open cluster in the constellation Cancer with over 200 known stars. It can almost be resolved by the naked eye but is best viewed with a very low-power telescope or with binoculars.
Collins Dictionary of Astronomy © Market House Books Ltd, 2006
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Praesepe

 

(Beehive), an open cluster in the constellation Cancer. (SeeSTAR CLUSTER.)

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Praesepe

[′prē·sə‚pē]
(astronomy)
A cluster of faint stars in the center of the constellation Cancer. Also known as Beehive; Manger.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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"The relatively young age of the Beehive cluster makes these planets among the youngest known," said Russel White, the principal investigator on the NASA Origins of Solar Systems grant that funded this study.
Astronomers Discovers Two 'Hot Jupiters' in Cluster of Stars
Watch as the Beehive Cluster and the lunar crescent sweep across the sky, some 4[degrees] apart.
OBSERVING: October 2018
The main standout object of the constellation is of course M44, Praesepe, or the Beehive Cluster. This is a rich open cluster, which can just about be detected with the naked eye from a dark site.
Sky notes: 2011 February & March
On the 10th it will be four degrees south of a waxing moon and a couple of degrees west of M44, the Beehive Cluster.
ARCHIVE: Night sky in March: So near, yet so far away; Gill Pilfold of Birmingham Astronomical Society reports on the two partial eclipses that are due to take place next month
16 EVENING: Look toward Cancer in the west after sunset to see the thin sliver of the waxing crescent Moon about 8[degrees] from dazzling Venus, with the Beehive Cluster (M44) almost exactly halfway between.
OBSERVING: JUNE 2018
The planet's pass through Cancer does not place it nicely near to Messier 44, Praesepe, or the Beehive cluster as it is also known, being some 3[degrees] distant at its closest around February 8, but it could make an interesting photo opportunity for a wide field shot, and should be a nice binocular view.
Sky notes: 2010 February and March
As Mars enters Cancer that morning, a thick crescent Moon will hang between the planet and the Beehive Cluster, M44.
October: four planets await early birds at dawn. But if you're a night owl instead, you can enjoy the king of the evening sky, Jupiter
[19] EVENING: The Moon, in Cancer, hangs 6[degrees] below the Beehive Cluster (M44).
OBSERVING: May 2018
Venus passes south of the Beehive Cluster, M44, on September 1st and 2nd.
September: when it comes to planets, size matters--at least size in your telescope's eyepiece. This month you can catch Jupiter (big), Saturn (medium), Venus (small), Mercury and Mars (really small), and even Uranus and Neptune (ridiculously tiny)
The head of the comet was very close to the smaller, much dimmer patch of M44 (the magnitude-3.1 and lV20-wide Beehive Cluster).
In the Path of the Closest Comet: From Draco to Cancer a comet hurtled
Cancer, the Crab, the dim constellation that occupies the relatively barren area between Gemini and Leo, is enlivened by the Beehive Cluster, M44.
April: Mercury mavens rejoice! April evenings are prime time for spotting the elusive planet. This month also provides some of the year's best chances to view Saturn's rings, which spend most of 2009 trying not to be seen
22 EVENING: The first-quarter Moon is in Cancer, some 2[degrees] to 3[degrees] below the fuzzy Beehive Cluster (M44); use binoculars to distinguish individual cluster members.
OBSERVING: April 2018

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