🌌 Celebrating World Space Week: The Beehive Cluster
- Oct 8
- 5 min read
Hey Sweet Friends!
This week, we’re taking our love for bees out of this world!
In honor of World Space Week, we’re thrilled to feature a special post by our daughter, Bailey Filer, a second-year Ph.D. candidate in Astrophysical Sciences and Technology at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She is advised by Dr. Jason Nordhaus, who guides her research in the dynamics of common envelope binaries- systems where two stars share the same outer layers
So, what does space have to do with honey? As it turns out… quite a lot! Because floating in the night sky is a glittering reminder that the universe has its own kind of hive. So grab your Honey & Dark Chocolate Galaxy Bark to snack on and take a journey with us into space.
The Beehive Cluster
by Bailey Filer
Floating through the vacuum of space, not so very far from Earth, is a group of about 1000 stars that we call the Beehive Cluster. These stars were all born from the same massive cloud of gas and dust, much like bees in a hive all come from the same queen. But unlike a real beehive, stars in groups like the Beehive Cluster (Also known as M44 or Praesepe) all move together through space! These groups are called “open clusters” in astronomy, and they are really useful for studying all types of stars.
The main benefit to studying open clusters is that all the stars within that cluster have a lot in common with each other. They all formed at about the same time, they all are approximately the same distance from Earth, and they’re all made from the same batch of materials in the same concentrations, though the vast majority of that material is just hydrogen and helium. Because stars in open clusters have so many characteristics in common with each other, it is easier to study the differences between them, like how bigger stars age differently from smaller stars and why.
THE BEEHIVE CLUSTER. photo by Drew Evans. used with permission
The Beehive Cluster is no exception, in fact, it’s an especially fascinating open cluster to study! M44 is very close to earth compared to other open clusters, at just 600 light years away (a light year = distance light can travel in a year), that’s practically next door in astronomical terms. It is also pretty bright! You may be able to see the Beehive Cluster yourself in the constellation of Cancer if you have a decent pair of binoculars on a clear night in late winter to early spring. If you do, you’ll quickly see that the Beehive Cluster got its name from its shape in the sky, a squat little dome of stars that look like an old-fashioned beehive.
But if we look through a much more complex piece of equipment, the cluster doesn’t maintain this fun shape, it just looks like a blob of stars, more concentrated than those around it, like a swarm of bees moving as a unit through the night sky. And they’ve been moving like that for much longer than any beehive could last. In fact, it’s impressive how old M44 is, since open clusters usually break apart after a while, especially when they’re right on the plane of the galaxy where there are lots of other objects for the cluster to run into.
In my own research field, I study a type of event called a ‘common envelope interaction’, a dramatic phase where two stars share the same outer layers. The Beehive Cluster happens to contain at least two systems that are likely the remains of such interactions, making it an especially intriguing target for my future work!
So whether you’re looking up at it through a telescope or studying it in simulations, the Beehive Cluster offers a lovely reminder: the universe, vast as it is, still has its hives, places where stars are born together, live together, and shine together.
Bailey Filer, a second-year Ph.D. candidate in Astrophysical Sciences and Technology at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She is advised by Dr. Jason Nordhaus, who guides her research in the dynamics of common envelope binaries. She is the daughter of Tom & Stacie, owners of Fingerlakes Honey Company.
🍯 Sweet Science on Earth
Inspired by Bailey’s cosmic hive, we’ve created two stellar new recipes to celebrate World Space Week:
They’re the perfect blend of stargazing and snacking — because whether you’re studying stars or tending hives, there’s a little sweetness in every discovery
🔭 Viewing The Beehive Cluster
The Beehive Cluster (M44) appears as a hazy patch of light with the naked eye, but binoculars or a telescope reveal individual stars.
Steps to find the Beehive Cluster:
Find Regulus: Locate the brightest star in Leo, a bright star called Regulus.
Find Gemini: Locate the pair of bright stars, Castor and Pollux, in the constellation Gemini.
Locate Cancer: The Beehive Cluster is in the constellation Cancer, which is situated between Leo and Gemini.
Scan for the Cluster: The cluster lies about halfway between the Regulus and Pollux/Castor pair. Best viewed on a clear night in late winter to early spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
Tips for viewing:
Use binoculars: For the best view, use binoculars or a low-power telescope to see the individual stars within the cluster.
Seek dark skies: The Beehive Cluster can be hard to see in light-polluted areas because it is a diffuse, spread-out object.
Be patient: Use "averted vision" by looking slightly to the side of the cluster to help your eye detect the faint patch of light.
It's a "fuzzy patch": With the naked eye, the cluster appears as a misty or fuzzy patch of light, approximately 1.5 times the size of the full Moon.
🌙 From Our Hive to the Stars
We hope you enjoyed this special contribution from Bailey and our little journey through the cosmos. As night falls, grab your binoculars or telescope, step outside, and look up- you just might spot the Beehive Cluster twinkling back at you. It’s a beautiful reminder that whether in the sky or on Earth, every hive is filled with connection and a little bit of wonder. Let us know if you found it and also how you are celebrating World Space Week in the comments.
Until Next Time- Stay Sweet!
Tom and Stacie
Tom and Stacie, are co-owners of Fingerlakes Honey Company located in the bee-utiful Fingerlakes region of New York State. When they are not tending to all things bees, they enjoy spending time with their grown children, their dog, and lots of chickens on their homestead. They love learning more about the bees they foster and helping others to learn more about them as well.
Thank you Bailey for your explanation of the "Beehive Cluster ". Now I need some honey and binoculars!