Known popularly as the “Beehive,” this cluster lies almost 600 light-years from our little world.
Winter’s bright stars commanded by Sirius, the bright luminary in the south, move into the western half of the sky, being replaced by a much more muted batch of stars in the eastern half. Directly overhead shine the twin lights of Gemini, Castor (the dimmer of the two) and Pollux. Between them and Sirius, also called the “Dog Star,” lies the 8th brightest star, Procyon.
Draw two imaginary straight lines. The first one begins at Sirius then passes through Procyon. The second starts at Castor then travels through Pollux. Where the two lines intersect marks a nearby hidden treasure in the heavens.
The stargazer, viewing from a dark area, will spy a faint, fuzzy spot and those people with keen eyesight will notice that it is encased by four dim stars. Binoculars reveal a star cluster with a hundred faint sparkling lights. Known popularly as the “Beehive,” this cluster lies almost 600 light-years from our little world.
This is a great opportunity to show others—especially the young—what the sky holds for those curious people who make the effort to gaze skyward. The Beehive will unfailingly greet you—and them—every year at this time.
The story above first appeared in our March / April 2023 issue.
