M44 is well placed

Thursday 31st Jan 201902:00

The Beehive open star cluster (M44, NGC 2632, also known as Praesepe) will be well placed for observation. It will reach its highest point in the sky at around midnight local time.

At a declination of +19°40', it is easiest to see from the northern hemisphere; it can be seen at latitudes between 89°N and 50°S.

From London, it will be visible in the evening sky, becoming accessible at around 18:06 (BST) as the dusk sky fades, 16° above your eastern horizon. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 23:57, 58° above your southern horizon. It will continue to be observable until around 05:55, when it sinks to 16° above your western horizon.

At magnitude 3.1, M44 is tricky to make out with the naked eye except from a dark site, but is visible through a pair of binoculars or small telescope.

The position of M44 is as follows:

Object Right Ascension Declination Constellation Magnitude Angular Size
M44 08h40m20s +19°40' Cancer 3.1 95'00"

The coordinates above are given in J2000.0.

This entry in the observing calendar was provided by In-The-Sky.org

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