I just saw the Beehive Cluster or M44 for the first time

[DemosL]

I just came in from a quick and cold viewing. As I was sweeping the sky east of Pollux and Castor, I came across a large open cluster that I estimated to be a bout 2 degrees across. I just looked up large open clusters near Gemini and found out I viewed the Beehive Cluster or M44. It's also known as Praesepe. In all my years of viewing DSOs with my scopes I never saw this. Possibly because it's so large that only about a quarter of it would have fit into my eyepiece FOV.

[cuivenion]

Try looking at it through your 15x70s, it's a good target for binos.

[DemosL]

1 minute ago, cuivenion said:

Try looking at it through your 15x70s, it's a good target for binos.

That's what I viewed it with.

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

These large open clusters,like M44,are precisely the type of objects where Binoculars come into their own for a 'widescreen' View.

[BinocularSky]

Now go for Melotte 111, which is the other side of Leo. Even bigger!

[laudropb]

The Beehive is a wonderful sight in Bins.

[StarSapling]

Give the Puppis region east of Sirius  a good sweeping.  It's a fantastic area for largish bins - clusters galore.

[DemosL]

7 hours ago, BinocularSky said:

Now go for Melotte 111, which is the other side of Leo. Even bigger!

 

4 hours ago, StarSapling said:

Give the Puppis region east of Sirius  a good sweeping.  It's a fantastic area for largish bins - clusters galore.

Thanks for the tip.

[WaveSoarer]

It's one of my favourite open clusters. I also stumbled upon it and I was quite blown away by its beauty. It's a lovely site in my 200p but bins are better for appreciating its full grandeur.