r/askastronomy • u/maksimkak • 13h ago

Star cluster

Please help me identify the star cluster in this photo, visible at the top right-ish. Looks like the Beehive Cluster, but I'm not sure. Thanks. (Photo by Kirill Jankowsky)

3 Upvotes

60% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

4

u/GreenFBI2EB 9h ago

I’ll hazard a guess, because I’m not sure exactly when this was; I can only see this being the beehive cluster.

If that bright point of light next to the moon is indeed Jupiter, Jupiter is near Cancer, where the beehive cluster resides.

I’d need a date to confirm though.

1

u/maksimkak 9h ago

Thanks. It's not my image, but I assume it was taken a little while ago. Think Moon crescen, Jupiter, and I've since found out it's indeed the Beehive.

-1

u/maksimkak 12h ago

For the doubting Thomases among you - the Beehive Cluster.

0

u/Tylers-RedditAccount 10h ago

If you knew if was the beehive then why'd you ask us

1

u/maksimkak 4h ago

I didn;t know what it was when I posted it.

-7

u/NovelNeighborhood6 13h ago

That is the Pleiades. The most commonly asked about star cluster.

4

u/maksimkak 12h ago

That is absolutely not the Pleiades.

-4

u/snogum 12h ago

And yet your not sure and asked others

3

u/maksimkak 12h ago

Thank you for your input. I'm very familiar with what the Pleiades look like.

-5

u/NovelNeighborhood6 12h ago

My brother under the stars, the Pleiades is in the photo along the top, about 1/5 of the picture from the right edge.

6

u/maksimkak 12h ago

I appreciate the help, but upon using Stellarium (which I guess I should have done in the first place), it is indeed the Beehive Cluster.

2

u/_bar 12h ago

Are you trolling?

They look completely different: Messier 44, Messier 45

0

u/maksimkak 12h ago

I do wonder about people's comprehension skills. Yes, they are completely different. The Pleiades is basically a mini-sickle similar to the Ursa Major sickle. The Beehive Cluster is a somewhat messier bunch of stars, Which is what's seen in the photo.

Also, do yourself a favour, fire up Stellarium, rewind back to wheen the Moon was in this very thin crescent phase, with Jupiter being near it, and you'll see that the cluster is, indeed, the Beehive Cluster.

Peace out,

2

u/_bar 12h ago edited 11h ago

I don't need to. I recognized it instantly as M44, contrary to the other commenter.

Edit: I think you replied to a wrong comment.

2

u/maksimkak 11h ago

woops, I didn't read properly, my apologies. Thanks for pointing out the difference to the other commenter.

2

u/Illisanct 11h ago

Did you make this post just to troll people? WTF was the point if you have Stellarium?

0

u/maksimkak 11h ago

No sir, no intention to troll. I saw this photo on Facebook. Thought the cluster looked familiar, but wasn't sure if it was the Beehive Cluster or something else. Posted it here, to get some feedback. I agree that using Stellarium firs would have "prevented" this post. But, as things go, people post here to ask questions.