beehive | EarthSky

Star chart: upside down Y shaped constellation, with other labeled stars and small dots for cluster.

Meet Cancer the Crab and its Beehive star cluster

Cancer the Crab is one of the 12 constellations of the zodiac. Learn how to find it in your sky, plus learn about its star cluster, mythology and more.

The Beehive Cluster: A swarm of 1,000 stars

The Beehive Cluster is an open star cluster that lies near the center of the constellation Cancer the Crab. It goes by many names, including Praesepe and M44.

Circle with 2 white dots inside labeled with dates next to cluster. Arrow shows Venus' motion.

Venus and the Beehive! Together June 12 and 13

Spot Venus and the Beehive star cluster together on June 12 and 13, 2023. Use binoculars to get a good view of the starry cluster and dazzling Venus.

Circle with arrow showing motion of Mars across the Beehive cluster, with red dots for Mars on 2 dates.

Mars and the Beehive! See them together on June 1 and 2

Spot Mars and the Beehive cluster together on June 1 and 2, 2023. Use binoculars to see the starry cluster making a sparkling background for the red planet.

Waxing crescent moon, near yellow circle showing Beehive Cluster with 3 white dots for Venus, Castor and Pollux, and red dot for Mars.

Moon near Venus, Mars, Castor, Pollux, Beehive on May 24

Watch for the waxing crescent moon near Venus, Castor, Pollux, Mars, and the Beehive star cluster on the evening of May 24, 2023. Beautiful!

Circle with moon and scattered dots representing the Beehive Cluster in binoculars.

See the Beehive Cluster and moon in binoculars

You can see the Beehive Cluster, M44, on the morning of September 21, 2022. The waning crescent moon will fit in the same binocular field of view.

Crescent moon with earthshine near star cluster.

Photos of the moon, Mars, and the Beehive

Photographers on opposite sides of Earth captured images of the moon and the Beehive star cluster as they paired up in mid-June 2021.

Jupiter can guide you to the Beehive

Look for Jupiter tonight, and note its location. Then - when the moon drops out of the evening sky - use Jupiter to find the famous Beehive star cluster.

Jupiter and Regulus point to Beehive

Use the planet Jupiter and the star Regulus to find the Beehive star cluster tonight and for many nights to come!

Best photos of Comet Lovejoy near Beehive star cluster

Comet Lovejoy has been visible with binoculars in the predawn sky, near the famous Beehive star cluster. How to spot it, plus best photos, here.

Featureless planet with sunlike star and scattered stars in background.

Astronomers find two planets orbiting stars in Beehive cluster

The planets in the Beehive are the first ever found around sun-like stars in a cluster of stars.

Star chart: Lines and dots outlining animal-shaped Leo, its head at right, and star Regulus at bottom right.

Leo the Lion and its easy to see backward question mark

Leo the Lion - one of the zodiacal constellations - is a prominent fixture from April through June in the evening sky. It’s easy to spot by finding the Sickle.

Star chart: Long line connecting about 17 stars, chalice shape and irregular rectangle above it.

Hydra the Water Snake, the longest constellation

Hydra the Water Snake is the largest of the 88 constellations. On April evenings, the entire constellation snakes along the southern horizon.

Chart: Lines connecting 8 dots more or less in a row. Two labeled dots (stars) at lower right.

Meet the constellation Lynx, overhead in March

The constellation Lynx represents a wild cat and passes high overhead in March skies for the Northern Hemisphere. Learn its stars and deep-sky objects.

Star chart with large triangle with labeled stars at the corners.

The Winter Triangle stands out in the night sky

The Winter Triangle is a distinct pattern of stars in the night sky formed by 3 of the brightest stars: Sirius, Betelgeuse and Procyon.

A dot, Jupiter, is to the right of two smaller dots, the stars Castor and Pollux. It is also above another dot. They all lie above a horizontal wavy line, the horizon.

Meet Gemini the Twins, home to Jupiter and 2 bright stars

The constellation Gemini the Twins is home to Castor and Pollux. Learn more about these bright stars, visible on northern winter nights.

Telescopic image of a large, more than half-lit moon with distinct craters and darker blotches.

What are the best targets for binoculars?

The best targets for binoculars in the night sky are the moon, planets, star clusters and nebulae. You can even catch the smudge of distant galaxies in them.

Star chart: Two-pronged fork-shaped constellation, small cluster at top right and 2 stars labeled.

The Hyades star cluster: The Face of Taurus the Bull

Look for the V-shape Hyades star cluster in Taurus the Bull in the evening sky. It represents the Face of the Bull and it's beautiful in binoculars.

A colorful oval cloud in space, blue in the middle to orange and red on the outskirts.

Deep-sky objects: Small telescope and binocular targets

Deep-sky objects - including bright and dark nebulae, star clusters and distant galaxies - are favorite targets for amateur stargazers.

Multicolored, complex, somewhat figure 8 shaped cloud in space, with jets at each side.

Butterfly nebula offers clues on how Earth-like planets form

New observations of the Butterfly nebula reveal a dust torus, energetic jets, and PAH formation, providing insight into how rocky planets like Earth assemble.

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Meet Cancer the Crab and its Beehive star cluster

The Beehive Cluster: A swarm of 1,000 stars

Venus and the Beehive! Together June 12 and 13

Mars and the Beehive! See them together on June 1 and 2

Moon near Venus, Mars, Castor, Pollux, Beehive on May 24

See the Beehive Cluster and moon in binoculars

Photos of the moon, Mars, and the Beehive

Jupiter can guide you to the Beehive

Jupiter and Regulus point to Beehive

Best photos of Comet Lovejoy near Beehive star cluster

Astronomers find two planets orbiting stars in Beehive cluster

Leo the Lion and its easy to see backward question mark

Hydra the Water Snake, the longest constellation

Meet the constellation Lynx, overhead in March

The Winter Triangle stands out in the night sky

Meet Gemini the Twins, home to Jupiter and 2 bright stars

What are the best targets for binoculars?

The Hyades star cluster: The Face of Taurus the Bull

Deep-sky objects: Small telescope and binocular targets

Butterfly nebula offers clues on how Earth-like planets form