M44, the Bees, or the Beehive cluster is one of the more remarkable, large, and bright open clusters. It is just to the left of Gemini. It is easily visible with the unaided eye, and thus has been known, named and stories told about it since prehistoric times. In 260 B.C. it was described as the "little mist". After examining it through his telescope, Galileo described it as a grouping of about 40 stars.  Today we know there are 300-400 stars gravitationally associated together that make up it's extent. Visually it's overall brightness is magnitude 3.7, and extends a degree and one half wide. According to the latest data, the cluster is 577 light years distant, and its age is estimated at about 730 million years. Curiously, both this age and the direction of proper motion o coincide with that of the Hyades, another famous naked-eye and long known cluster. Probably these two clusters, although now separated by hundreds of light years, have a common origin in some great diffuse gaseous nebula which existed 700 to 800 million years ago. Consequently, also the stellar populations are similar, both containing red giants (M44 at least 5 of them) and some white dwarfs.

10" F6.3 Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope, (1600mm F.L.) Canon 300D camera placed at the scope's prime focus
5 photos aligned and averaged together, then brightness, color, and contrast enhanced. Click on photo above for a full frame full rez image.
Each photo, 30 seconds exposure at ISO 1600