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 below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

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

Beehive Cluster (M44) tonight

Beehive Cluster (M44) visibility on 2026-10-27

Beehive Cluster (M44) Visible from early morning until sunrise

Beehive Cluster (M44) rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 98.9% illuminated	19:51	-68°
Astronomical observing session begins	20:01	-67°
Beehive Cluster (M44) rise	01:18
Astronomical observing session ends	05:35	59°
Twilight end (−12°)	06:00	63°
Civil sunrise	06:25	67°
Sunrise	06:47	70°
Beehive Cluster (M44) transit	07:19	72°
Moonset	08:26	65°

Track Beehive Cluster (M44) position throughout the night

← 27 October 2026 →

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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	21:54
Latitude	1.35208
Longitude	103.82
Elevation	-47°
Azimuth	59°

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 17, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Wed, 28 October 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	19:59
Astronomical observing session ends	05:32
Astronomical observing duration	10h 33m
Rise	01:14
Set	13:16
Elevation at transit	72°
Transit time	07:15
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°
Azimuth	58.7°

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