Beehive Cluster in Cancer M44. One of the closest clusters to earth at a mere 500 light years away! It consists of some 350 stars. It is easily visible to the naked eye as a faint cloud in dark skies. It was known to Hipparchus as the "Little Cloud". Its a beautiful sight in binoculars. Pentax 105 SHDF with TV .85 focal reducer, Canon 10D, stack of 5x90sec exposures, Summit County CO, December 26, 2003