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M44, the Beehive Cluster is also known as Praesepe or 'the manger' as the two brightest stars near it are supposed to be donkeys having their lunch(!)

Just visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy patch in dark skies, through a telescope it is a rich area of jewel-like stars. Photographed it is less spectacular. It covers a large area about three times as wide as the full moon so it is best photographed or observed with a fairly short focal length.

M44

M44, The Beehive Cluster or Praesepe - best seen with the eye through a telescope, like many star clusters.

Category: Astrophotography