For the amateur astronomer, few things can match the beauty of a densely packed open cluster. One of my favorites has always been M44, the Beehive Cluster, in Cancer. With it’s brightest star at magnitude 4.2, Cancer is a rather dim constellation and not always obvious to the backyard astronomer, especially when light pollution is an issue. But as can be seen on the map, Cancer is located between the easily found constellations of Leo and Gemini. Also currently passing through that area is Mars. So don’t forget to crank up the magnification and see how much surface detail you can see on the red planet.
Despite being one of the closest star clusters, there is some disagreement about the exact distance to the Beehive Cluster. Current estimates range from about 520 to 610 light years. Being this close means it appears both large and bright (at magnitude 3.1, visible to the naked eye under dark sky conditions.) And so it is best seen with low magnification. A good pair of binoculars would work well, otherwise use the lowest power eyepiece you have.