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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / Beehive (M44)

Beehive (M44) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M44 right now?

M44 is located in the constellation Cancer. Although M44 is currently 52° above the horizon, it is not visible because it is daytime.

M44 visibility on 2026-08-28

M44 Visible from early morning until sunrise

M44 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M44 transit	09:24	72°
M44 set	16:26
Moonrise, 100% illuminated	17:35	-12°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:15	-26°
M44 rise	02:18
Astronomical observing session ends	03:02	8°
Twilight end	03:36	15°
Civil sunrise	04:08	21°
Sunrise	04:36	26°
Moonset	05:04	32°

Track M44 Position Throughout the Night

← 28 August 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe 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.

Finder Chart for M44

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Object name	M44
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M44 coordinates	8.67283, 19.67206
Center coordinates	8.67283, 19.67206

Beehive (M44) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Beehive (M44)

Time	06:48
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	52°
Azimuth	107°

Here you can see the current position of 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.

Annual motion of Beehive (M44)

M44 will become visible again around September 13 after moving far enough from the Sun.

Date	Fri, 28 August 2026
Twilight start	19:11
Twilight end	02:56
Twilight duration	8h 45m
Rise	02:18
Set	16:22
Elevation at transit	72°
Transit time	09:20
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 08h 40m 22s", Dec: 19° 40' 19s
Magnitude	3
Constellation	Cancer

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of 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 view detailed visibility information in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M44

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	8.67283°
Declination	19.67206°
Magnitude	3.10
Constellation	Cancer
Elevation	51.8°
Azimuth	106.5°

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