Beehive Cluster (M44) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is Beehive Cluster (M44) right now?

Beehive Cluster (M44) is located in the constellation Cancer. It is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 47° toward the south-east, with an apparent magnitude of 3.10.

Open the interactive guide to Beehive Cluster (M44)’s position and path tonight

Beehive Cluster (M44) tonight

Beehive Cluster (M44) visibility on 2026-11-01

Beehive Cluster (M44) Visible from before midnight until sunrise

Beehive Cluster (M44) rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Astronomical observing session begins	15:02	-30°
Moonrise, 59.7% illuminated	18:38	-7°
Beehive Cluster (M44) rise	19:20
Astronomical observing session ends	01:29	66°
Twilight end (−12°)	02:01	69°
Beehive Cluster (M44) transit	02:29	70°
Civil sunrise	02:33	70°
Sunrise	03:02	68°
Moonset	09:42	-1°

Track Beehive Cluster (M44) position throughout the night

← 1 November 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe Beehive Cluster (M44) changing position in the night sky.

M44 - Beehive Cluster

The Beehive Cluster (M44), also known as Praesepe, is an open cluster located in the constellation Cancer. It was observed by Ptolemy in ancient times and later cataloged by Charles Messier in 1769. M44 is one of the nearest open clusters to Earth and contains a rich population of stars.

M44 spans about 23 light-years across and contains over 1,000 stars. The cluster is approximately 610 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 3.7, making it visible to the naked eye under dark skies.

M44 — Image Gallery

DSS Blue

Blue images highlight younger, hotter stars that emit strongly at blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

Red images reveal older, cooler stars and emission nebulae glowing strongly in hydrogen-alpha light.

DSS Near-Infrared

Near-infrared images penetrate dust that obscures visible light and reveal hidden structures.

DSS Composite Image

DSS color images combine blue, red and often near-infrared exposures into a composite view.

The images come from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) under contract with NASA, using data from UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), European Southern Observatory (ESO), National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II).

Special thanks to National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, California Institute of Technology for their significant contributions.

Beehive Cluster (M44) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Beehive Cluster (M44)

Time	23:33
Latitude	39.9612
Longitude	-82.9988
Elevation	47°
Azimuth	105°

Here you can see the current position of Beehive Cluster (M44) on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool lets you track its movement throughout the night with accurate, up-to-date information.

When Is Beehive Cluster (M44) Visible Throughout the Year?

Beehive Cluster (M44) will remain visible until June 1, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Mon, 2 November 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	14:57
Astronomical observing session ends	01:24
Astronomical observing duration	10h 27m
Rise	19:16
Set	09:33
Elevation at transit	70°
Transit time	02:25
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 08h 40m 22s", Dec: 19° 40' 19s
Magnitude	3
Constellation	Cancer

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of Beehive Cluster (M44), including its daily appearances and transit times. The vertical axis shows the hours of the day and the horizontal axis spans the year. The reddish area marks when the object is above the horizon, while the white line marks its daily transit.
You can also see when Beehive Cluster (M44) is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of Beehive Cluster (M44)

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	08h 40m 22s
Declination	19° 40′ 19″
Magnitude	3.1
Constellation	Cancer
Elevation	47.3°
Azimuth	105.1°

Data Credits

The deep-sky information on this page comes from the OpenNGC project developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed catalog data for nebulae, galaxies, clusters and other deep-sky objects.

For details or contributions, visit the official repository: OpenNGC GitHub.

Observation Settings