Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]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. 2022 April 30 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. M44: The Beehive Cluster Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Drew Evans Explanation: A mere 600 light-years away, M44 is one of the closest star clusters to our solar system. Also known as the [5]Praesepe or the Beehive cluster its stars are young though, about 600 million years old compared to our Sun's 4.5 [6]billion years. Based on similar ages and motion through space, M44 and the even closer [7]Hyades star cluster in Taurus are thought to have been born together in the same large molecular cloud. [8]An open cluster spanning some 15 light-years, M44 holds 1,000 stars or so and covers about 3 full moons (1.5 degrees) on the sky in the constellation Cancer. Visible to the unaided eye, M44 has been recognized since antiquity. Described as a faint cloud or celestial mist long before being included as the 44th entry in [9]Charles Messier's 18th century catalog, the cluster was not resolved into its individual stars until telescopes were available. A popular target for modern, binocular-equipped sky gazers, the cluster's few [10]yellowish tinted, cool, [11]red giants are scattered through the field of its brighter hot blue main sequence stars in this [12]telescopic group snapshot. Dramatic [13]diffraction spikes highlighting the brighter cluster members were created with string crossed in front of the telescope's objective lens. Tomorrow's picture: black hole shadow __________________________________________________________________ [14]< | [15]Archive | [16]Submissions | [17]Index | [18]Search | [19]Calendar | [20]RSS | [21]Education | [22]About APOD | [23]Discuss | [24]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [25]Robert Nemiroff ([26]MTU) & [27]Jerry Bonnell ([28]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [29]Specific rights apply. [30]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [31]ASD at [32]NASA / [33]GSFC & [34]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2204/M44-resized.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://www.astrobin.com/users/DrewJEvans/ 5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beehive_Cluster 6. http://www.kokogiak.com/megapenny/nine.asp 7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200122.html 8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_cluster 9. https://www.nasa.gov/content/explore-the-night-sky-hubble-s-messier-catalog-bio 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110211.html 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110408.html 12. https://www.astrobin.com/c7c1x9/ 13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffraction_spike 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220429.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 18. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 23. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=220430 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220501.html 25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 28. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 30. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 31. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 32. https://www.nasa.gov/ 33. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 34. http://www.mtu.edu/