The Beehive Cluster, also known as M44 or the Praesepe, is an open star cluster located in the constellation Cancer. It is one of the closest clusters to Earth, situated about 577 light-years away. The cluster contains around 1,000 stars and is easily visible to the naked eye, appearing as a fuzzy patch in the night sky. Discovered by the ancient astronomer Ptolemy, the Beehive Cluster has been studied for centuries. It is approximately 600 million years old and features a mix of bright and dim stars. The cluster is often used by astronomers to study stellar evolution and the dynamics of star formation.