A favourite of stargazers everywhere, the Beehive Cluster, can be seen very near to the Moon on the 27th and 28th of April! Head out side and look for the Moon. On the 27th the Beehive Cluster is to the east of the Moon, and is to the west on the 28th.
Use the Quasar Publishing image above as a guide. To find out more about what to see in the night sky, grab a copy of their latest Astronomy Australia almanac at Quasar Publishing.
When to look: 6.30pm to 10.30pm, 28th and 29th of April
Which direction to look: North to north western sky, depending on how late you’re viewing
Something Interesting:
Open clusters like the Beehive Cluster are collections of very young stars, only a few hundred million years old at a maximum. These clusters are fascinating for astronomers because despite all of the stars being approximately the same age, different stars are in different stages of their lives. Bigger stars burn their fuel faster and are closer to the end of the lives than their smaller, slower burning counterparts.